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Cyber Security and Internet Freedom
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Cyber Security and Internet Freedom

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The Obama Administration wants new authority to eavesdrop on the Internet. We hear how the virus called Stuxnet has led to worldwide worry about cyber warfare. Also, the two Koreas to meet in the DMZ after key appointments in North, and increased US drone strikes in Pakistan are reportedly designed to help thwart threats of terror in Europe.  Is the US also a possible target?

Banner image: Analyists at the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) prepare for Cyber Storm III during a media session at their headquarters in Arlington, VA, September 24, 2010. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Making News

Two Koreas to Meet in DMZ after Key Appointments in North ()

For the first time in two years, North and South Korea will hold talks on military issues tomorrow on the border at Panmunjom. But the bigger news from the Korean Peninsula is the awarding of major new titles to Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of North Korea's "dear leader," Kim Jong-Il. Selig Harrison directs the Asia program at the Center for International Policy in Washington.

Guests:
  • Selig Harrison: Director of the Asia Program, Center for International Policy

Main Topic

Cyber Security, Stuxnet and Internet Freedom ()

Computer experts say Stuxnet is the first known case of cyber sabotage. Discovered just a few months ago, it's a virus that infects not just computer programs but also the machines they operate. It's so sophisticated that it's likely the work of a nation-state targeting Iran's nuclear program.  But it's also spread to a number of other countries. Is Stuxnet a cyber-warfare weapon that went wrong? Who launched it? Nobody knows, but the Internet could be used to wreak havoc in the real world. What are the challenges for national security?  Will it mean compromising the freedom and privacy now taken for granted in the virtual world?

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Reporter's Notebook

Plot Thwarted for Mumbai-Style Attacks in Europe ()

The CIA has set a record this month with 20 drone strikes in Pakistan, reportedly to help thwart a serious terror threat against Europe. Intelligence agents are saying that the threat against European countries is the most serious in recent years, and they're trying to determine if the US is also a target.  That's according to Siobhan Gorman with the Wall Street Journal.

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