Assessing Security Risks of Internet Cafes and Cyber Threats

Teenagers, traveling professionals and tourists vie for one of the store's 800 computer terminals. Nearly every spot is taken during the evening peak hours, when $1 buys about 30 minutes of high-speed Internet access. Such Internet cafes -- stores that provide . . . Teenagers, traveling professionals and tourists vie for one of the store's 800 computer terminals. Nearly every spot is taken during the evening peak hours, when $1 buys about 30 minutes of high-speed Internet access. Such Internet cafes -- stores that provide food and drink along with Net access -- are a convenient boon to many. But besides serving tourists or others without home computers, some "cybercafes" -- especially those overseas -- could be attractive to terrorists.

Already, some criminals have found how easy it is to use Net cafes.

During the war in Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials confirmed that al Qaeda members used Internet cafes in Pakistan to e-mail each other in attempts to regroup after American air attacks.

And in February, those responsible for kidnapping and killing journalist Daniel Pearl e-mailed ransom notes and threats from similar computer-equipped cafes in Pakistan.

The link for this article located at abcnews is no longer available.