and it's only a big problem because we are stupid enough to rely on 
completely insecure devices for all of this.
It's no mystery that computers are susseptible to others gaining control of 
them remotely.
This is not news or some new thing.
It's like putting all of our gold in a house with no locks, and expecting it 
to be secure, then getting upset because people try to steal it...so what do 
we do? we put guards around the house to keep people out...yet we still 
insist upon putting all that wealth in a non-secure building thinking that 
if we're smart, we'll keep it safe.
And then, when people try to steal it, we cry war and terror on them because 
they're trying to threaten our way of life.
Kind of silly don't you think? We put our gold and wealth in locked 
facilities, physically difficult or impossible to get into, but we use 
computers which are essentially unlocked sheds for the rest of it, including 
our wealth now with banking.
The problem is intigral to society and I suspect technology grew far to fast 
for people to realize how insecure it really is.
People think it's safe, and therefore when they find out it isn't, they 
can't believe it, and they feel like idiots, so they have to point the 
finger at someone else.
I never said it isn't a problem, it sure is, but lets try and keep the 
proper perspective as to why it's now a big problem.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ronald E. Milliman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2013 1:43 PM
Subject: Re: Homeland Security says we should disable JAVA!


> Re Cyber War=85
>
> In terms of the larger picture, computer systems in all of our major
> universities, such as the University of Michigan, MIT, Stanford, Texas 
> A&M,
> University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Berkley, among
> others are under almost daily attack by foreign sources in an attempt to
> steal highly confidential research. I have a good friend who teaches at 
> MIT
> who has been working on a top secret propulsion system for nearly his
> entire professional career; it was a part of his doctorial dissertation,
> and he is highly recognized in his field. Last year foreign sources tried
> repeatedly to hack into and steel his research. Fortunately, all they were
> successful in stealing were some older papers he had published that were
> not highly classified. How would you react if your life-long research was
> simply stolen to be used by our enemies?=20
>
> Our major power systems in this country are under constant attack. These
> power systems are computer controlled, and if they are successfully hacked
> into, it is conceivable that entire regions of the United States could be
> shut down, our subways, traffic signals, elevators, production facilities,
> all of the homes in the region, air transportation, and the list goes 
> on.=20
>
> If the computer control systems in our satellites are successfully hacked
> into, it could bring down our entire communications systems; it could
> impact our GPS controlled transportation systems, like planes, ships, and
> the list goes on.=20
>
> I have a close friend who is in the hospital right now, and he is being
> kept alive with various computer controlled machines. In fact, almost
> everything in the entire hospital is computer controlled in one way or
> another. So, if those systems were successfully hacked into, it could be
> disastrous.
>
> If our private computers are successfully hacked into, it is possible to
> use them to, in turn, get into other unsuspecting systems, like businesses
> some of us are associated with. I have friends, maybe even some of you, 
> and
> it includes myself, who have, seemingly, our entire lives on our computers
> and smart phones and other similar devices, such as our daily schedules,
> medical appointments, contact information for all of our friends and
> relatives, and for some of us, it would be serious, very serious if our
> devices were hacked into and the files, programs and documents were wiped
> out and destroyed. =20
>
> Every single aspect of our computer controlled lives, as I delineated
> above, is under attack in this cyber war. Burying our heads in the sand 
> and
> denying that it exists will only ensure that it will succeed. If you doubt
> what I am telling you, just invest a little of your time and research the
> topic. If you research the subject competently, you will quickly discover
> that I am not just crying wolf or that the sky is falling. It is a real
> threat.=20
>
> I consider this ham radio related to the extent that today nearly all of
> our ham radios are computer controlled, and many of our rigs are directly
> connected to and being controlled by our computers.=20
>
> Ron, K8HSY
> Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
>
> Dr. Ronald E. Milliman, retired Professor Western Kentucky University
>
> Chair, American Council of the Blind Public Relations Committee
>
> Chair, American Council of the Blind's Monthly Monetary Support Program
> (MMS) Committee