Hackers 'could cripple the nation'

The revolution will be computerised, according to UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, with hackers able to cripple an entire nation more quickly and effectively than any military firepower.

The grim speech was delivered at the House of Commons last night as Cook stressed that our national infrastructure had become so reliant on technology that an electronic attack could do severe damage to essential services.

"Computers now manage most of our critical national infrastructure but with these new opportunities there also comes the risk of new threats. A computer-based attack could cripple the nation more quickly than a military strike," he warned.

"With essential services such as water, power and transport controlled electronically, the technology behind them has become a top target," he added.

Cook said that there was a plus side, however, with "the revolution in communications technology creating new opportunities on an exponential scale. This week, 360,000 emails will be sent in Britain every second."

But a report by the House of Commons Security and Intelligence Committee has been critical of slow reactions to major virus outbreaks like the Love Bug.

This led the Foreign Secretary to call for faster reaction times against digital assault from hackers and viruses alike, where "speed of response can make the difference in the modern world between stability and chaos".