Has the threat of cyber(网络)-war entered a significant new stage? Look at the reports of activity on the digital battlefield. Cyberspace, some call it the new field of war, after land, sea, air and space. The 2010 Stuxnet(蠕虫病毒) cyber-attack on Iran’s uranium enrichment plant(铀浓缩厂), suspected to have come from Israel or the US, seemed to confirm the existence of this kind of war.

       Stuxnet raised the fear of cyber-attack. The recently discovered computer virus called Duqu Trojan, which contains some Stuxnet code, is built to steal information about computers controlling industrial palnts. IT security experts suspect Duqu came from the same source as Stuxnet, and may be seeking weak points for future attack.

       Despite all this activity, the nature of cyber-threats remains unclearly described. Experts have been warning for years about dangers of being attacked in US government and private computer networks. In 2009, Obama launched a 60-day cyberspace security review to assess the threats. It concluded they were horrible, and urged the government to figh the threat under the direction of the US National Security Council, along with cooperation with other countries and private industry.

       Firewalls guarding US military(军事) information are attacked mercilessly, sometimes successfully. “Over the past decade, large quantities of data have been taken out by foreign hackers,” then US vice defense secretary William Lynn said in July. A single such attack in March saw 24,000 files stolen. Yet cyber-war goes far beyond this activity. There is industrial spying; criminal attacks, including stealing military secrets; and selling fake military parts on the internet, which can damage or destroy equipment. Opposition groups create their own threats. Thus security must go far beyond protecting government documents and facilities.

       Unavoidable offence is studied too, secretly. But governments are unwilling to attack openly. News reports in the US claimed that Barack Obama’s administration chose not to launch a cyber-attack against Libyan air defenses in March. “The US decision not to aim at Libya was largely political,” says James Lewis, a White House high official. Also, he adds, Obama did not want to be the first to openly launch a new form of war. October saw a great deal of talk about cyber-war. Also in October, the US Department of Defense announced that the country’s highest military officers were reviewing the rules of engagement for cyber-war. A few days later, another report suggested a certain country may have launched a cyber-attack against two US civilian satellites.

       Caution and a focus on defense make sense. Computer technology spreads fast. It does not pay to attack if your weapons can be turned against you. The computer virus Duqu Trojan is troublesome, but more extensive Stuxnet cyber-attack could lead to a real cyber-war.

50.The cyber-attack on Iran’s plant mentioned in paragraph one shows us         .

       A.it is wrong to invade a country                B.cyber-attack isn’t far from us

       C.a uranium enrichment plant is illegal        D.Israel or the US is dangerous

51.Cyber threats         .

       A.can hardly reach America                         B.aren’t paid much attention to

       C.raise great alarm to America                     D.are limited to stealing information

52.America didn’t launch a cyber-attack against Libya mainly for the reason of     .

       A.technology            B.economy               C.politics                  D.military

53.The passage suggests it is wise to       a cyber-war.

       A.start                      B.prevent                 C.continue               D.spread

54.The proper title for this passage is      .

       A.Cyber-War Is Worse Than Real One           B.America Will Win a Cyber-War

       C.Cyber-War Clouds Are Gathering               D.Obama Avoided the Cyber-War

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