Once again, I join with my blogging colleagues in offering some predictions for the coming year. I have kept it to six, so as not to get carried away, and I kept them general, so I have a better chance of being right. Some are nearly no-brainers, but several are definitely going out on a limb. I will let the readers judge if I am “sawing” on the correct side or not.
People all over the country are writing about 2009 – a good many will write about the events that affected cyber issues. I will not try to do a complete tour de force but will list some of the issues I felt were either very interesting or particularly important.
Today we had a major step forward in defending our Nation’s networks and a huge reminder of how great the cyber security gap we face actually is. The White House staff announced that Howard A. Schmidt was selected by the President to fill the role of Cyber Coordinator on the National Security Staff. This position has stood vacant since the President declared it a key need in his 29 May release of his Cyber report.
When I look at the military’s efforts in the cyber security realm, I am concerned. The military still has the highest motivation, but in cyber security, it is not doing as well as some entities in the private sector. Please do not misunderstand me. The military and other U.S. defense agencies are doing well in many areas. But on the defensive side, I have much less confidence.
The Internet Security Alliance (ISA), a broadly focused industry group, has released a report as their entry into a race to be the most helpful in cyber security to the Obama Administration. At the National Press Club, the release was marked by a lunchtime gathering and short presentation led by the organization’s president. Recommendations focused on how the government will work with the private sector.
In November, the Harvard Business School hosted its annual Tech Conference, the “Cyberposium,” focusing on this year on the “digital storm” and addressing the cutting-edge challenges that the U.S. faces. The purpose of the event was to give its top-notch business students exposure to key issues they will face as they go out and act as leaders of American and international business.
A big topic today is the so-called Smart Grid. This is our power system on steroids, or at least, on millions of small, very capable monitoring computers that will make our power usage more efficient and more, well…smart. Most people are now aware (or are getting more so) that all this wonderful technology that makes us efficient, effective and connected also makes us vulnerable to those who want to do us harm.
AFCEA International held its two-day Solutions Conference, December 2-3. The original keynote was supposed to be LTG Keith Alexander, the Director of the National Security Agency, and the nominee for a 4th star and command of the newly established U.S. Cyber Command. Instead, he sent one of his very able subordinates from the NSA, Ms. Sherri Ramsey, to address the group at the National Conference Center in Leesburg.
IBM hosted a Cyber Security Leadership Summit in Boston on November 18. It was interesting for someone like me (who is constantly immersed in the Washington discussions on cyber issues) to hear cyber security discussed as a local issue. For these folks, it is not an intellectual or philosophical discussion; it is not even the grand strategic problem we normally hear about in DC. It is a tactical and completely real issue that has implications for people whose faces these men know.
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