The New Spy Games

The new Spy Games isn't about hanging around in Casino's hoping to play against an enemy agent, or international crime syndicate leader, but about infiltrating computer and communication networks. It's about Cyber War and domination in Cyberspace. The battles of the future are being prepared today, and the battleground will be the millions of computer networks, and the billions of computer users around the world.

The armies may come out of nowhere, as legions of Botnets activate to charge through the Internet and attack their target. Already millions of computers have been conscripted into these Botnets with the majority of their owners unaware that they are ready to fight for criminal syndicates, or foreign governments to disrupt banks, stock transfers, commerce and of course military operations.

Daily these Zombie Networks are sending Spy Agents, in the form of Trojan Horses, Key Loggers and other spy software into unsuspecting, and often unprepared computers, and computer networks.

The Secret Agents of the future will be the Computer Geeks of today, those who can drive the systems, the video games, and the network architecture.

Economic Cyber War

Every year billions of dollars are robbed from unsuspecting banks, corporations, and in ever increasing numbers from Identity theft from private individuals. Once the domain of amateur hackers, whose ultimate goal was to crack their school and give themselves the best grades, or get bragging rights from hacking high profile sites, the world of Organized Crime quickly took notice and began attacking financial sites, emptying bank accounts, and wholesale fraud with credit cards and e-commerce.

Besides the targets there were other differences from the computer geeks. These new hackers and cyber criminals kill for fun. Just be careful that the game you think you are playing isn't for real.

Alan J Simpson is President of Communication Links, Inc and for over a decade has advised governments and corporations on cybersecurity, network threats, and critical infrastructure threats. He founded SpyGames.com and SpySchool.com to bring together the global community interested in espionage, and cyberwar, and develop safe and instructional gaming, for professionals and amateurs alike. To stop a spy you need to think like a spy!

Robot Spies

The game of Surveillance and Reconnaissance has changed dramatically since James Bond took to the cinema screen in the early 1960's. More and more electronic devices are being developed to watch, listen, feel and even smell the target. They still don't replace boots on the ground, but in the Games of Espionage technology is King.

The latest upgrade to the major UAV's is to enable them to search out and destroy targets, finally bringing "00" status to the robots in the air. The same applies to the ground robots, they too can search and destroy. With remote robots scouring the countryside, and hunter killer robots looking for intruders the world of intelligence gathering by humans suddenly got more difficult. The modern spy does not even have to leave his desk to watch and learn enemy secrets. Thanks to global satellite links technology can create a virtual world on his laptop, and allow him to watch and listen in complete safety.

Spy Satellites

The recent much publicized shooting down of a US Spy Satellite, out of control (or so they say) and plummeting towards Earth has raised the level of interest in what is up in Space, looking down on us, watching our every movement, and listening to our every electronic transmission.

Any one can look up civilian satellite images thanks to Google, and other image providers. The resolution of these free images from space are better than the Top Secret satellite images of only a few years ago. Today you can begin your Spy Games on your browser, at home.

The many spy satellites are these days tracked by a network of amateurs around the world, and military and intelligence agencies know when enemy spy satellites are within range, and for how long. They know to cease activities during this observation window, and hide anything mobile they do not want the satellites to see, or hear. For every spy there is a counter spy.

These real time systems have come a long way from the days of Corona, where cans of exposed film were returned to Earth, and carefully grabbed by specially fitted aircraft.

Cyber Intelligence and Espionage

Many civilian intelligence companies use the information gathered as Open Source Intelligence to monitor threats and business around the world. But there is a dark side of intelligence gathering and the Internet.

The latest presentation of the Spy Games series looks at the battle for electronic intelligence, and electronically stored data. Every day nations, and private individuals scour the Internet searching for vulnerabilities in the defenses of military, government and corporate computers. Not the well publicized "Hackers" and authors of Viruses and Trojan Horses, but the silent spies who seek confidential information, specifications and operational data. These are the new generation of spies, and most don't have to leave their homes, or their offices. A whole new chapter in the history of espionage is being written before our eyes. A new presentation available shortly.

Communication Links, Inc., PO Box 2808, Easton, MD 21601 Tel: (410) 820 0491