Council on Foreign Relations Says Al-Qaeda Lacks Ability to Cyberattack United States of America

I have been saying a lot of the same things over the last few years. There is no way that some guys in ski-masks huddling in Afghan ice caves can conduct sophisticated cyberattacks against America's grid and network. If the media says that Al-Qaeda is cyberattacking fools, then it is probably a lie. Even the Council on Foreign Relations agrees and says that you will not see Al-Qaeda conducting major cyberattacks. I don't trust the CFR at all, but remember its own words the next time the media says that Osama bin Laden is planning a major cyberattack against America.

While the United States' critical infrastructure, from the electric grid to the financial sector, is vulnerable to attack through cyberspace, al-Qaeda lacks the capability and motivation to exploit these vulnerabilities. To penetrate, map, and damage the networks that control the industrial base requires a large team of experienced hackers, a lot of time, and advanced infrastructure. Only a handful of groups, mostly nation state actors, possess this level of capability, and al-Qaeda is not one of them.

If anyone is going to be hitting us with a cyberattack, it will probably be conducted by agents with connections to China, Russia, Israel, North Korea or the corporate sector.

Source: Council on Foreign Relations