Ever wonder if some big software companies release deliberate viruses to cause a widespread panic and get users to update their software? I wouldn't put it past Microsoft.
Ever get attacked by Spyware or a virus and it just so happens its mostly anti-spyware ads that keep popping up? Then you had the case of Sony which had a root-kit on their CD's which was deemed as a virus by Microsoft.
Yes, I believe it, and I was just thinking about it the other day. Not only do I think software companies may produce spyware and then sell programs to fight it, but I also think the Pentagon and other government agencies may carry out false flag "cyber terror attacks" and blame them on hackers. Once the government has blamed the hackers, they will proceed to pass legislation that will allow them to take control of the internet. I think that is how they will try to resolve the "net neutrality" issue. The idea of creating a computer virus and then spreading it on the internet before turning around and offering a virus protection software is called a Problem-reaction solution. It goes like this: 1. Create the virus, spyware, or cyber terror attack. 2. Blame the attack on hackers or Islamic extremists. 3. Offer the pre-packaged solution of either software protection or legislation that can protect those who use the internet, though the real goal will be to take control. Donald Rumsfield has already wrote a paper talking about fighting hostile computer networks. China has already said they will fight a "cyberwar" against the US, and the Pentagon is concerned about it. As the world becomes more dependent on the internet and computer networks, they will be more adversely affected by system crashes. For example, my hosting company was attacked by some virus or hackers and all my websites were down. My Adsense revenue for they day stopped to a halt. Lucky for me, Adsense is not my primary form of revenue, but still, what if you make good money from adsense and your sites suddenly go down? Cyber terrorism is not a joke. Just like real acts of terrorism, governments or corporations can stage "false flag" cyber attacks against networks they deem to be hostile. Imagine for a second if the US government decided to may forums "illegal" because they would allow potential terrorists to share information. If the people don't listen, they could knock out the forums, making it impossible for people to communicate.
Here are a number of links where you can read a bit more about chinese cyber war: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/965344.stm http://security.itworld.com/4352/CWD010502STO60116/page_1.html http://loosewire.typepad.com/blog/2005/12/the_first_uschi.html