US practices cyber-crash scenario

A group of former US Government officials have enacted a scenario in which cybercriminals crash the internet and various mobile networks.

The exercise, called “Cyber ShockWave” was conducted within a Washington hotel room. Former homeland security chief Michael Chertoff took the role of National Security Advisor, with former CIA director Michael Hayden orchestrating the exercise.

“The participants, whose mission is to advise the President and mount a response to the attack, will not know the scenario in advance,” wrote the Bipartisan Policy Center, the organisation sponsoring the event, in the original announcement.

“They will react to the threat in real time, as intelligence and news reports drive the simulation, shedding light on how the difficult split-second decisions must be made to respond to an unfolding and often unseen threat.”

The participants discussed several scenarios including nationalising utility companies, staging a strike of its own and calling on the National Guard.

CNN apparently filmed the event and will screen extracts in the coming days.

COMMENTS