经济学人14:商业活动与网络安全 鬼魅之声

 　　Business.

　　商业。

　　Businesses and cyber-security.

　　商业活动与网络安全。

　　A spook speaks.

　　鬼魅之声。

　　Its cost may be hard to count, but cybercrime has companies worried.

　　网络犯罪损失难料，公司企业忧心忡忡。

　　LIKE blooms on a peculiar¹ plant, speeches by the head of the British security service are rare; and when they do appear, they draw attention. On June 25th Jonathan Evans, the director-general of MI5, burst into oratorical² flower for the first time in 21 months. After commenting on preparations for the Olympic Games and on counter-terrorism, Mr Evans turned to cyber-security-where the "front line…is as much in business as it is in government." States as well as criminals were up to no good, he said: in particular, a "major London listed company with which we have worked" had lost revenue of "some ￡800m" ($1.2 billion) to state-sponsored cyber-attack. The firm in question had lost intellectual property and had been put at a disadvantage in commercial negotiations³.

　　英国安全局的发言就如铁树开花一般罕见，而一旦他们发话了，便立即吸引众人目光。6月25日，军情五处的总干事Jonathan Evans在沉默了21个月后首次发表演讲。他先评价了奥运会准备工作和反恐的问题，接着便把话题转移到网络安全上——"在前线……企业和政府的遭遇没什么区别"。他说，国家和个人罪犯都不怀好意，尤其是国家给予经济支持的网络攻击，使得"部分受我们保护的主要伦敦上市企业"盈利损失近达"8亿英镑"（12亿美元）。遭受攻击的企业失去了知识产权，还会在商务谈判中处于劣势。

　　Examples and rumours⁴ abound⁵ of companies being burgled by cyberfrauds, cyberspooks or cyber-mischief-makers. On June 26th America's Federal Trade Commission sued Wyndham Worldwide, a hotel group, alleging⁶ that security failures at the company in 2008 and 2009 had led to the export of hundreds of thousands of guests' payment-card account numbers to a domain⁷ registered in Russia. The FTC says "millions of dollars" were lost to fraud. Wyndham says it knows of no customers who lost money and that the FTC's claims are "without merit".

　　关于公司企业遭受网络诈骗、网络幽灵或者网络恶作剧绑架的例子和传闻遍地开花。6月26日，美国联邦贸易委员会控告温德姆环球酒店公司，控诉其因安全疏忽致使08至09年客户的信用卡账号信息泄露，流入了一个在俄罗斯注册的域名。联邦贸易委员会称因受诈骗，"数百万美元"的资金遭受损失，而温德姆酒店方面则没有客户受害，联邦委员会的说法"毫无根据"。

　　The loss of industrial secrets is perhaps even more worrying to companies than that of their customers' credit-card data. Some think worry is overdue⁸. Mark Anderson, the chairman of INVNT/IP, a new organisation⁹ of technology companies, says: "We are encouraged by discovering the number of global technology CEOs who have come to understand this issue and its importance to their own company welfare, regardless of the incentives¹⁰ and protestations offered by China, Russia and other nations known to actively¹¹ steal IP."

　　恐怕对于企业来说，更可怕的是泄露商业机密而不是顾客信用卡数据被窃取，有些人认为现在才开始担心来得太迟。INVNT/IP是一家新成立的技术公司，他的总裁Mark Anderson说："中国、俄罗斯和其他猖狂进行IP偷窃的国家如今一味发表声明以正其身，尽管如此，我们仍然备受鼓舞，因为我们发现世界上越来越多技术公司总裁意识到网络安全的问题及其对他们公司资产的重要性。

　　Working out the cost of cybercrime is a devil of a job. The FTC and Wyndham are poles apart on their estimates of the effect of the credit-card thefts. Companies say they are under constant cyber-attack in ever more ingenious forms, but they are loth to say in public how often the raiders get through and how much damage they do—assuming that the breach¹² is spotted¹³. That suggests the damage is underreported. When they are speaking to the security services they may be more forthcoming, but will they be accurate? Companies might anyway have lost some of the business written off to cybercrime. In that case, Mr Evans's ￡800m would be on the high side.

　　核算网络犯罪带来的成本损失让人避之若浼，联邦贸易委员会和温德姆酒店集团对信用卡盗窃的影响预估大相径庭。公司企业声称他们经常受到网络攻击，其形式更甚高明，但他们却不愿意公布，如果他们的漏洞被盯上的话，他们受入侵的次数以及受损程度会是多少，估计损失也被低估。他们可能会向安全局透露更多，但在这过程中他们会给出准确信息吗？企业的部分业务收入可能也与网络犯罪的损失勾销。在之前提到的事例中，Evan先生的8亿美金就算偏高了。

　　In a report by Britain's Cabinet Office last year, Detica, the software arm of BAE Systems, a defence company, put the cost of cybercrime to the country at a staggering ￡27 billion, or 1.8% of GDP. Businesses bore ￡21 billion, mostly because of the theft of secrets and industrial espionage¹⁴. Lots of people doubted these numbers-including, it seems, the Ministry¹⁵ of Defence, which commissioned a study from a team led by Ross Anderson, a computer-security expert at Cambridge University.

　　据英国内阁办公厅去年的报告显示，主理防卫业务的英国BAE系统公司的附属公司Detica给其提供软件助理，Detica在去年投入到英国国内的网络犯罪防范成本惊人，达到270亿英镑，占了GDP的1.8%。他们的业务收入达到210亿英镑，大部分涉及偷取商业机密和行业间谍活动。包括国防部在内的许多人都质疑这份数据，国防部还特此委任了剑桥大学计算机安全专家Ross Anderson组织团队开展研究。

　　The team's report, published this month, shies away from adding up totals, preferring to assess the costs of different types of crime in turn, but comes up with much lower figures-partly because it discounts Detica's numbers for intellectual-property theft and espionage entirely¹⁶, saying they have "no obvious foundation". Most of the cost of cybercrime, it concludes, is indirect, such as spending on antivirus software or other corporate¹⁷ defences. In other words, a lot goes on payments by one lot of businesses to another: the computer-security industry.

　　该团队于本月发布了报告，报告避而不谈损失总量，却反过来评估各种网络犯罪造成的不同损失，但是其估算出来的数据远远偏低——部分原因是他们完全不重视Detica关于知识产权窃取和商业间谍活动的数据，声称他们"没有明显基础"。该报告总结，大部分针对网络犯罪的成本损失都是间接的，比如说杀毒软件或其他公司防卫手段的支出。换句话说，大部分花费支付给了另一类行业：计算机安全保障行业。

　　That may be inevitable¹⁸. Cyber-attacks are happening more often and are becoming more precisely¹⁹ targeted. Greg Day, the chief technology officer for security in the European business of Symantec, a computer-security firm, says that for years cybercrime was more or less "random²⁰", as crooks²¹ looked for any holes they could find anywhere. In the past couple of years, however, they have chosen their corporate targets more precisely. Symantec observed virtually no targeted attacks before Stuxnet, a worm that attacked industrial-control systems, appeared in 2010. Last December it spotted an average of 154 a day.

　　这是不可避免的，网络攻击越来越频繁，目标越来越精确。计算机安全公司赛门铁克的欧洲分公司技术总监Greg Day说，过去的网络犯罪多多少少有点"随机性"，不法分子只是在到处找寻他们可以突破的漏洞而已。然而，在最近几年，他们更加有的放矢。据赛门铁克观察发现，2010年之前，没有任何网络受到过针对性攻击，后来，旨在攻击企业控制系统的蠕虫病毒Stuxnet出现了，这种情况就改变了，去年12月，每天就有154个系统受到这种病毒的攻击。

　　The bad guys are increasingly using social media to try to find a way in, either by gathering²² intelligence or by befriending employees who may be tricked into opening an e-mail with nasty code within. People, a security-industry adage²³ runs, are the weakest link. Training them to be careful may still be the best defence.

　　越来越多坏蛋利用社交媒体进行黑客攻击活动，他们要么成群结队地展开活动，要么找易上当的雇员下手，欺骗他们打开含有恶意代码的电子邮件。正如安保行业的格言所说，人们是最脆弱的环节。因此，训练人们警惕小心可能仍是最好的防卫手段。

1 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 oratorical   

adj.演说的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The award for the oratorical contest was made by a jury of nine professors. 演讲比赛的裁决由九位教授组成的评判委员会作出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His oratorical efforts evoked no response in his audience. 他的雄辩在听众中不起反响。 来自辞典例句

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

5 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

6 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

7 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

8 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

9 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

10 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

12 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

13 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

14 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

18 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

19 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

20 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

21 crooks   

n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The police are getting after the crooks in the city. 警察在城里追捕小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cops got the crooks. 警察捉到了那些罪犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

23 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！