Cyber war program ‘MonsterMind’ could ignite accidental conflicts, warns Edward Snowden [View all]

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/13/cyber-war-program-monstermind-could-ignite-accidental-conflicts-warns-edward-snowden/



Cyber war program ‘MonsterMind’ could ignite accidental conflicts, warns Edward Snowden
By Reuters
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 13:06 EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A developing U.S. cyber security program would not only hunt down and halt potential computer attacks but also strike back without staff oversight, according to former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden.

In an interview with WIRED magazine made public Wednesday, Snowden said the program – MonsterMind – could hurt countries caught in the middle as hackers could disguise the origin of their attacks by routing them through computers in other nations.

“These attacks can be spoofed,” Snowden told the magazine. “You could have someone sitting in China, for example, making it appear that one of these attacks is originating in Russia. And then we end up shooting back at a Russian hospital. What happens next?”

It could also potentially start an accidental war, he said.