The Committee to Nuke Elysium

“Today, we see constant attempts by cyber means to steal the nation’s secrets, as well as information vital to the effective operation of critical national industries and infrastructure, not to mention commercial intelligence and criminal fraud,” said David Irvine, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

“The cyber world will be a principal mechanism of warfare in the 21st century [and] has the potential to reduce the conventional and nuclear weapons advantage of a country.”

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Last month Canada’s Treasury Board confirmed there had been an unauthorised attempt to penetrate its networks after broadcaster CBC reported China-based hackers had attacked government computer systems.

This month the French Finance Ministry shut down 10,000 computers after hackers using Chinese internet addresses hunted for documents about the G20 group comprising the world’s biggest economies, which France is this year chairing.