This topic also gained its popularity when several prominent hackers in the United States during 1990s and 2000 have traded credit card information on miscellaneous websites, broke bank accounts, committed various other frauds and spread viruses in the global net. That era was famous with such names as Adam Botbyl - an American computer hacker from Michigan who gained unauthorized access to the United States nationwide computer system used by the Lowe’s chain of home improvement and hardware stores, Dennis Moran - A.K.A. Coolio who was accused in February 2000 of a series of denial-of-service attacks that shut down some of the most popular websites on the Internet, Nahshon Even-Chaim - A.K.A. Phoenix - was the first major computer hacker convicted in Australia, Jonathan James - A.K.A. Comrade - is an American hacker who was the first juvenile incarcerated for cybercrime in the United States and others as Richard Jones - A.K.A. Electron, Kevin Mitnick, Mark Abene - A.K.A. Phiber Optik, Jeffrey Lee Parson, Kevin Poulsen - A.K.A - Dark Dante[1], etc. Resembling Zazi, most of them ended up their career behind the bars.

Now, if one scroll back to the past, one can recall that during the development of mobile technologies in 90s, such disruptive attempt was practical through the usage of cell-phones. But, at these days, one can add to it the most updates and super-graded computers that are capable of not only exploding the bomb, but also controlling the social infrastructure (e.g. the subway traffic - by contributing train collisions as well as the traffic lights and airspace - misguidance). At this stage, it has become clear enough to understand that nowadays the world confronts with various computer vulnerabilities and an old-school detonation of bombs via the use of mobile phones are not the only choice anymore. Despite the ‘mobile communication technology’ that needs contracts and licenses to operate, there is also the Internet, the most power public engine which is free and multifunctional to operate.

At the days, Internet technologies help to make attacks on economic infrastructures, such as banks, stock exchanges, personal assets, whereas it is another dangerous attribute of cyber-criminality. In recent years, such attacks targeted New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ where various viruses and malwares sent to them has brought the malfunctioning of the system. The reality is that as these days, the viruses are being comprehensively distributed on the net with the aim to collect the data and can be used for a deliberate attack on the specific addressee. A fundamental reason for this is that technology does not stagnate, but maintain its evolution. Thus, due to weak protection, trading platforms, financial operations on the net, as well as the information and national security are put into jeopardy. Ostensibly, someone has an interest in such virtual entertainment and this problem is definitely bigger than just receiving Email about the poor Nigerian child that has all lethal illnesses, who, plays on your naivety by asking financial aid and eventually bankrupts you. In short, this means that modern computer technologies pose a real threat to individuals and societies. This also means that neither personal nor business assets are safe, because of various spams and viruses, distinct types of fraud and forgeries both on personal and national levels are being widely developed.

In fact, spams and viruses play a separate role in the cyberspace. Sometimes they are used as ‘cyber-missiles’ to infect into the computers and wreak havoc in the industrial systems and sometimes just for fun to crash ones operation system. In this context, one may recall cyber-attack on Estonia[2] in 2007, which swamped websites of Estonian organizations, including Estonian parliament, banks, ministries, newspapers and broadcasters. Thereat, an Estonian leadership squarely accused Russia standing behind this attack. However, according to Robert Giesler, a former director of information operation of Pentagon, 17% of those taken part in this assault where based in the territory of the United States. In fact, USA as an inventor of the Internet nowadays develops all sorts of software and has a vast capacity both to create new viruses and use it for sundry purposes. For instance, a prominent virus named as ‘Stuxnet’ can be a good example on how much damage cyber-missiles can bring to industries, especially to the nuclear plants. Stuxnet is designed to penetrate into specific configuration and disrupt its operation. This virus was used by a group of cyber criminals named as «Anonomous» for an attack of Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to observers, the attack was carefully planned with the support of a team working for the U.S. government, but it did not caused any significant damage. At the same time, some experts believe that the virus was circulated on the Internet and attacked different programs running on Microsoft Windows. Initially, Stuxnet was designed for industrial espionage by collecting their data and by threatening companies under various facts they have obtained from their pc systems. Although, there were dozens of companies that have been contaminated by Stuxnet, not all of their operations were disrupted as they were not the intended targets as in the case of Iranian nuclear plants.

According to some data, in 2010 year Stuxnet infected more than 45.000 computers, from which 60% were from Iran, 18% Indonesia and 8% India[3]. In case of Iran, it was particularly targeted at Bushehr nuclear reactor and Natanz uranium-enrichment plant, but no damage has been done. Meanwhile, one may ponder for the moment that if Iranian nuclear programme is currently a major dilemma in the political agenda, some hackers have already found how to control it in a distance. In this case, either Israel or United States or both can easily implement cyber-attacks to interrupt a functioning of its nuclear facilities instead of using military attacks. At the same time, one may fathom what a ‘seek and hide’ game it may create if other states will be capable of creating their personal Stuxnets. Therein, one can only imagine what it may ultimately lead to once it is combined with military potentials of these states.

At this moment, it is also crucial to underline virtual security threats on a personal level. This basically means that the development of technology allows hackers to commit illicit crimes in the cyber-space against ones personal means and properties. For instance, on June 02, it became known that hackers based in China gained access to hundreds of Gmail accounts, including some belonging to senior U.S. government officials and military personnel[4]. Therein, the hackers allegedly used a “phishing” campaign to trick users of the popular E-mail service into revealing their passwords, which allowed the perpetrators to monitor incoming and outgoing messages. They also hit the Gmailaccounts of journalists, Chinese political activists and South Korean and other Asian officials. Although, there are many more examples how for instances personal accounts of social networking sites were hacked, data stolen, online chats and internet calls were eavesdropped. What is noteworthy here is that the privacy setting and account protection in all of these websites and softwares guarantee the unbreakable security. But the practice show that each and everyone have at least once been subjected to email malfunction or spam attack that neither Yahoo nor Gmail was capable to prevent. Thus, regarding lousy cases where one’s email was hacked and sensitive information stolen, suspicious E-mail correspondences were detected, terror attacks planned, etc., one can be sure that this is a clear evidence of the existence of advanced technologies and intelligent cadres that are capable of many of those virtual doings. That is why some of the most advanced countries spend billions to protect their cyberspace. For instance, according to reports of agency on cyber-security Detica, cyber-delinquency annually takes away 27 billion of UK’s money and this sum is annually growing[5]. In 2010, the United State has recognized cyberspace as a full-fledged environment of military operation along with land, water and air. Thus, pentagon spends billion of dollars in order to create both offensive and defensive potential for activities in the cyberspace. Without any doubt, the cyberspace is also in the interest of such state as France, Russia, China, Israel, Great Britain and India that also spend billions for their security.

On the other hand, the main problem is how these technologies and what consequences it may lead to once it is in hand of terror groups or separate states that are in conflict with one another other. Given a devastating situation in Iraq and impoverishment of Afghanistan, it seems that these impoverished countries are yet incapable of posing cyber-threat and increasing their own technologies or any sorts of viruses as Stuxnet for retaliation purposes anytime soon. The issue should rather be directed at Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia as predominantly Muslim states, as well as advancing technological states amid other Islamic countries[6]. However, particularly in the case of Iran and yet, given its complex relationship with the U.S., the development of Iranian cyber-technology poses a direct concern of Washington. There are two major reasons for this: 1) Iranian support of Islamic, predominantly Shia, militant groups in the Islamic world through provision of financial and technological support[7]; 2) possible cyber attacks on U.S. financial and military sectors[8]. Meanwhile, given the U.S.’s swoop on Iran’s nuclear facilities and its huge budget-share for tech and military expansion, it seems that at this stage U.S.’s potential is much higher than any of its rivals. In contrast, Iran up until now has not demonstrated any of such resources, neither it was capable of any cyber attacks against its cyber-aggressor, while its cyber capabilities look like a fly in front of elephant. As for Malaysia, it is known for its rapidly growing economy, top level of IT education/cadre potential, financial expenditures directed to it, while Indonesia remains as one of the biggest Islamic states in the world. In this context, one may contemplate what would be the consequences once the cyber technologies educed in these states would be in the hand of guerilla movements such as Free Papua Movement[9], Malaysian opposition movement Bersih[10]or radical Islamist group as Jemaah Islamiyah[11].

In the long term perspective, with the widespread of high technologies, the governments will have less control over belligerent groups and their actions. As a matter of understanding, cyberspace hosts not only the masses that can be driven by ideology, but also individual professionals that include IT professionals, software and explosive engineers, nuclear physicist, etc., from different parts of the world who can invent even more dangerous viruses than Stuxnet. Subsequently, one may fathom that development of technologies does not necessarily lead those economically/technological/militarily ambitious nations to progress. It is no longer a secret that the security control in cybercpace is being covertly or deliberately made by those states that spend billions for the development of technologies and those that simultaneously fight cyber-criminality in the world.

As for the Stuxnet, it is logical enough to understand that building up large scale viruses very often require professional team of hackers and couple of years of work and it is not an easy job at all. At this point, one may ponder that Stuxnet was one of those kinds of viruses and it has not incidentally affected computers worldwide. According to some estimates, it was detected in some 100,000 systems globally[12]. Ultimately, the manifestation of such peril virus proves the existence of organized cyber warfare, which as many experts believe is a popular trend in the personal security discourse. Thus, taking into account that cyberspace often evades censorship, embraces world at high speed and available in all continents it is not hard to understand that our personal and national integrity are no longer secured. This also means that the negligence as well as ignorance towards abusive role of technologies may not only embroil the relationship between Iran and the West, but also the rest of the world both regionally and globally.