In recent weeks we have experienced two collapses in the world of the web. The first of these was something to do with a fire suppression system being triggered at Red Bee Media which took Channel 4 off the air, but has also destroyed Red Bee’s ability to provide sub-titles for the deaf – a facility much used and relied upon in this house. The sub title provision is not expected to return fully until mid November as it all has to be rebuilt from scratch.
Then, over this last week end Tesco went off the air. They seem to admit that outside source was responsible for this, but as yet no names have been mentioned.
It is therefore not irrelevant to mention that in Computeractive magazine for 20 Oct – 2 Nov 2021 (Issue No.617) the above article has appeared and in it is a link to a Microsoft assessment of the international hacking wars as they stand at the moment.
One cannot help but wonder whether these two incidents are in some way connected, and if so who or what is the agency behind it all ? These and other similar incidents could well be the rehearsals of state sponsored hacking organisations for the main show to be launched at some future date. This war will not be conducted by mighty armies and massive supplies of war materials, but by a comparatively small number of people sitting in a bunker somewhere dislocating the systems and institutions of the attacked by electronic means.