U.S. Government warns of threats to financial websites

Terrorists can take down buildings and blow up a multitude of other things, but how about taking out the electronic infrastructure that the U.S. relies on more and more each day? Electronic infrastructure like financial and banking websites where tens of billions of transactions are logged every day, for both corporate and personal use?

The U.S. Government said yesterday that a possible Internet attack on U.S. stock market and banking Web sites may be coming from a radical Muslim group. However, officials said that the threat was unconfirmed and, at this time, seemed to pose no immediate danger.

A "Jihadist Web site" called for an attack on U.S. Internet-based stock market and banking sites in December, according to government officials, who in turn issued the alert. However, in what seems to have become the norm in these situations, a head at the Department of Homeland Security said that there is no information corroborating the threat. In addition, the alert was issued "as a routine matter."

It may seem routine until something happens, but it's a good thing for the Department of Homeland Security to announce a possible threat regardless. I can't imagine an attack on the websites of stock trading companies and financial institutions -- it could be disastrous.