Cyber Crime comes in lots of flavors. It is diverse, sophisticated and expanding everyday. It includes Internet fraud, online banking fraud, a highly developed cyber underground, a growing number of targeted areas, and the “advanced persistent threat,” a term that until recently was classified. It is almost impossible to accurately determine the “cost” of cyber crime, but if we do not get hold of this threat, we are in deep trouble.
At day two of the AFCEA STRATCOM Cyber Security Symposium, I was a member of the Industry Panel. I took a breath and issued my challenge. Our moderator had asked each of the four panelists to make brief opening remarks on the state of industry in the cyber security issue space and to end with a “memorable” bumper sticker. It was my turn to make opening remarks. I went with my strong suit: directness, passion and leadership. I issued a challenge directly to Commanding General of StratCom with the bumper sticker “Make the Public-Private Partnership Real.”
GSA to move e-mail to the cloud – NextGov
The General Services Administration’s move to a cloud-based e-mail system is the start of a significant effort to increase efficiency governmentwide, according to an analyst from the Washington-based Brookings Institution. GSA last week issued a request for proposals for a “software as a service” e-mail and collaboration system.
At the Defense Daily Cyber Summit today, Dawn Meyerricks, Deputy Director for Science and Technology at NSA stated without hesitation that cyber security is NOT the same as Information Assurance (IA). Many of us gave her hearty “amens.” Meyerricks made numerous other important points, and when questioned on differences between government agency perspectives on cyber, she said differences between various experts were in dire need of resolution.
Louisiana’s Emergency Agency “Following” Hundreds Of Citizens On Twitter To Gather, Distribute Oil Spill Info; Embrace Of Social Media’s 2-Way Potential Is Model For Govt. – In Case of Emergency
In the weeks since Deepwater Horizon explosion, the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has found itself in the middle of an evolving and unprecedented crisis. And, the agency has been relying on its new Twitter feed @GOHSEP, which has become a vital communications platform and resource.
Survey: Cloud computing to make huge strides by 2020 – NextGov
Mobile computing will outpace desktop technology in the next 10 years if challenges to access, security and interoperability are overcome, according to a study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project released on Friday.
If you want to scare a cyber-lay person, have them watch Bruce Willis chase virtual terrorists in “Live Free or Die Hard” and tell them it is all possible. In the film, the entire digital infrastructure of our country is brought to a stand still by a small group of very talented hackers. OK, professional analysts have told me it could not happen today. It could, however, happen in the not too distant future, particularly if present trends continue. The keys to that scenario are SCADA systems.
At a Cloud Computing Summit this week, initial questions were simple and basic; later, the question grew almost hostile. I remain an advocate for Cloud Computing. I am convinced that its economic, ecological and efficiency pluses will out weigh its potential downsides in the end. The mostly government crowd was not so sure. They were asking tough questions and were more than a little skeptical.
I have been critical in the past of the fact that DHS has not done enough about cybersecurity. I believe DHS is the correct part of the federal government to lead on cyber issues, but it always seemed that everything was on hold. It turns out I was wrong. I attended a superb cybersecurity event, and while I would love to give you a complete blow-by-blow recount of the excellent panel presentations and the Q&A, it was all done on a non-attribution basis. Despite that, I do feel compelled to share some of what I heard.
I had the privilege this past weekend to do several non-Beltway speaking engagements in Michigan. I spoke about 9/11, the war in Iraq and Afganistan, my old boss (Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld), terrorism and cybersecurity. These groups proved to be articulate, well educated and positively starving for information they expected to come from their government. But that did not surprise me as much as the fact that by far I received the most questions about cybersecurity.
Sponsored by:
