Security experts believe the premise of Die Hard 4.0 could become a reality in Australia

“IT’S not a matter of if it will happen, it’s when.” Security experts are worried Australia is vulnerable to a devastating cyber attack. All it will take is one skilled hacker.

IMAGINE the chaos that would ensue if terrorists managed to hack Australia’s critical computer infrastructure to take control of transportation and public utility systems.

The scenario, which was the premise behind Hollywood blockbuster Die Hard 4.0, has leading cybersecurity experts worried as they believe it may only a matter of time before these events transpire in real life.

Among those concerned is Director of PS&C Security Company Hacklabs Chris Gatford.

The ‘white hat’ (or ethical) hacker has made a successful career penetrating the information systems of organisations looking for weaknesses to fix.

With an expansive knowledge of hacking, Mr Gatford said there was no doubt in his mind critical utilities such as water supplies or electricity systems would be easily compromised.

“Malicious hackers already know us to be weaker than the rest of the world,” he told news.com.au

“It would only take a skilled individual to breach these computer systems, because more often than not they are not patched as frequently as corporate or home systems which have automated updates.”

Intel Security’s APAC Chief Technology Officer Mike Sentonas agreed there was a high chance Australia would fall victim to terrorists attacking critical systems.

“All you have to do is look at historical examples of traffic lights being overtaken, denial-of-service attacks at airports and organisations in Wall Street coming under attack to see its 100 per cent possible,” he told said.

While the attacks would be disruptive, Mr Sentonas said it wouldn’t take too long for utilities to recover, due to their growing awareness.

“In the past couple of years, there have been big changes in understanding if this type of attack will happen,” he said.

“Ten years ago the focus was on trying to stop these situations, now we are looking at how to recover as quickly as possible so these services are not offline for long periods.”

Mr Gatford believed cyberattacks would be less about sending the world into the dark ages and more about creating propaganda.

“You don’t have to have people getting hurt or killed to bring attention to your cause,” he said.

“Going after high profile utilities or disrupting flights and payments systems would cause massive disruptions and put fear in people’s minds. This would ultimately cause huge amounts of publicity for terrorists.

“It’s not a matter of if it will happen, it’s when.”