"Cyber"

Maybe I completely missed the obvious on this one, but why is practically anything Internet-related these days referred to as "cyber[something]?" Cyber attacks, cyber security, cyber warfare. It sounds more like marketing than anything else to me (unless it comes from the government or military, then they love this term).

Every time they mention these I feel as if the Decepticons are about to unleash hell. Otherwise it's almost like a corporate buzzword being tossed around by the media.

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Comments

Forsaken_GA

Go read Neuromancer.

(For what it's worth, William Gibson hates the term as well, and he invited it!)

cyberguypr

Easy. It's a global tribute to my nickname.

shaqazoolu

Moxie Marlinspike made fun of it a little in his talk about SSL at Def Con last week. I was pleased.

JDMurray

In the 1950's, the term "cyber" was derived from a Greek word to describe the interface between man and machines. Back then, "cyber" was just switches, keyboards, and printers, and paper tape. In the 1960's, terms like "cybernetics" were created to describe direct connections between men and machines (i.e., "cyber-genetics"). In the 1970's, Control Data Corporation used "Cyber" as the name of one of their popular computing systems. And in 1984, William Gibson ressurrected the term in his sci-fi novel, Neuromancer, in which he coined the terms "cyberspace" and "cyber-punk."

For some reason, the US DoD latched on to the term a few years ago, and it has been used ever since by defense contractors to market computer products to the military. I'm guessing it's because Internet-based attacks are seen as coming from "cyberspace."

tpatt100

Beware the Cybermen

JDMurray

tpatt100 wrote: »

Beware the Cybermen

Oh yeah...I totally forgot the "Dr. Who" reference. Cybermen look something like this ->

Mike-Mike

Cyberdyne Systems

Everyone

JDMurray wrote: »

For some reason, the US DoD latched on to the term a few years ago, and it has been used ever since by defense contractors to market computer products to the military. I'm guessing it's because Internet-based attacks are seen as coming from "cyberspace."

Ugh, yes, the Air Force really latched on to it hard core. Splitting up and changing the Communications Computer career field(s) into Cyber this and Cyber that career fields. Nobody in the career fields refers to them either. I've never heard anyone say "I'm a Cyber Operator!" when asked what they do... they say "I'm a Systems Administrator" instead, same as they did before the change, lol.

Then they changed the mission to include "cyberspace", and added a "Cyber" command.

It's so annoying.

JDMurray

Everyone wrote: »

Ugh, yes, the Air Force really latched on to it hard core. Splitting up and changing the Communications Computer career field(s) into Cyber this and Cyber that career fields. Nobody in the career fields refers to them either. I've never heard anyone say "I'm a Cyber Operator!" when asked what they do... they say "I'm a Systems Administrator" instead, same as they did before the change, lol.

Oh hey, this trickled down into all of the major defense contractors too (e.g., Lockheed, Northrup, Boeing, etc.). I was concerned they would rework all of the job classifications by replacing the word "security" with "cyber." It looks like only a new series of sub-classifications were created that have "cyber" in them. Still, why does the DoD think using terms like "cyber operator" makes things better anyway?

Everyone wrote: »

Then they changed the mission to include "cyberspace", and added a "Cyber" command. It's so annoying.

At least the "Virtual Warfare Centers" have remained reasonably named.

chrisone

Mike-Mike wrote: »

Cyberdyne Systems

also to add

"Skynet was originally installed by the military to control the national arsenal on August 4, 1997. On August 29 it gained self-awareness[1], and the panicking operators, realizing the extent of its abilities, tried to pull the plug. Skynet perceived the attempt to deactivate it as an attack and came to the conclusion that all of humanity would attempt to destroy it. To defend itself, it determined that humanity should be exterminated."

joneno

cyberguypr wrote: »

Easy. It's a global tribute to my nickname.

....that was funny.