IDF To Double Unit 8200 Cyber-War Manpower -- OpEd

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.eurasiareview.com/24102012-idf-to-double-unit-8200-cyber-war-manpower-oped/

By Richard Silverstein
Eurasia Review
October 24, 2012

The Israel’s Channel 2 reports (Hebrew) that the IDF intends to double 
the manpower of its Unit 8200, which is charged with waging cyber-war on 
Israel’s enemies.  It plays a role akin to the NSA here in the U.S. and 
was responsible for creating Stuxnet, Flame and the other cyber-viruses 
which have decimated Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities.

This is further confirmation of a growing trend that includes the 
Pentagon’s announcement that it would undertake a five-year $100-million 
program to fund the latest cyber-weapons in America’s war on its 
cyber-enemies.  This calls for a major ramp-up among U.S. defense 
contractors who will also be recruiting talent from U.S. grad schools to 
help develop the Stuxnets and drone technology of the future.  This will 
enable presidents like Barack Obama to continue telling the world that 
they adhere to international law regarding counter-terror policy, all 
the while thumbing their noses at it.

The Channel 2 story, in typically patriotic fashion, calls those 
recruited to Unit 8200 computer geniuses (“if you’re a computer genius, 
this is the place for you!”).  It even calls this field of endeavor 
“sexy.” There seems no recognition that what these sexy geniuses will be 
increasingly called to do is not only sabotage enemy infrastructure, but 
also cause death and devastation on a massive scale.  As I’ve written, 
it’s only a matter of time before someone pushes a Send button and 
unleashes code that derails a train, causes an explosion in a power 
plant, or poisons a water supply.  Even Leon Panetta warned of this 
eventuality.  Only of course, he warned of someone doing it to us, 
rather than us doing it to someone else.  We all know that the things 
you accuse your opponent of wishing to do to you are the same things 
you’d do to him given half a chance.

How does the IDF identify suitable candidates?  If you’re a high school 
student taking anywhere from five to ten computer subjects you’ll 
receive an invitation to take a special computer exam measuring your 
expertise.  Recruiters also scan computer-related internet forums for 
suitable candidates.  The IDF has a network of technical high schools 
throughout the country which also funnel manpower into the army’s 
technical units, including Unit 8200.

[...]

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