Major Cyberattack to Hit US by 2025, Say Experts
A major cyberattack will cause tens of billions of dollars in damage in the next 11 years, experts agreed. A Pew Research Center report released Wednesday revealed that 61 percent of internet and cybersecurity experts believe that such an attack will happen before 2025.
"By 2025, will a major cyberattack have caused widespread harm to a nation's security and capacity to defend itself and its people?" a survey asked the experts. 61 percent of the 1,642 experts polled answered yes.
"There was considerable agreement among these experts that individuals could be more vulnerable and businesses could persistently be under attack," said Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center's Internet Project. "They said essential utilities are a vulnerable target and theft and economic disruptions could be substantial."
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Experts believe that cyberterorrism attacks or cyber attacks from governments would aim to cripple financial systems, power grids or even health systems. Because the Internet is so essentially to defense, energy, banking and transportation, its only natural that they are targeted as well.
The report pointed out that as threats of cyberattacks evolve, cybersecurity will as well. This has invoked Cold War comparisons, as a nation would not want to be similarly crippled.
"Some confidently pointed out that the threat of counterattack might deter the worst," said Janna Anderson of Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center, which conducted the study along with Pew. "And many used the Cold War as a metaphor, saying severe harm is unlikely due to the threat of mutually assured disruption."
"Some said cyber threats are being exaggerated by people who might profit most from creating an atmosphere of fear," she added.
The other 39 percent of experts believe that cyber threats can be avoided.
