A Hack Like This Could Start the Next World War
There’s no end in sight to cyber disruption after the latest attack on Microsoft’s email software. You need just one to start a destructive chain reaction.
All it takes is a spark.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images EuropeIt may be years before we get the Franz Ferdinand hack, but one cyber attack has the potential to set off a global war the likes of which we’ve never seen. Think beyond power and internet outages to banking failures, food shortages and poisoned water.
In the latest offensive, Chinese-backed operatives exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp.’s Exchange Server with vibrations felt around the world, mostly among small and medium-sized enterprises. Two months ago, the U.S. administration pointed the finger at Russia for a major attack on software provider SolarWinds Inc. which appeared to target government customers.