How is America Dealing with Cyber Threats?
This year’s Worldwide Threat Assessment (published annually by the office of the Director of National Intelligence) begins its 32 pages addressing the subject of how our country is dealing with cyber threats. Director Daniel R. Coats immediately claims that discussing them first doesn’t mean they are the most important of 9 threats named in the report. That said, it certainly does appear to be a ‘grab your attention’ intention.
And why shouldn’t it be? In fact, even more sharing of the reality and logic exhibited in this assessment would seem to encourage more confidence in our country’s capabilities; while dissuading those with ‘mal-intent.’
Increased awareness that the U.S. is disrupting the ease with which Anti-Americans project their influence (via reconnaissance, espionage, and stolen privacy data) would certainly help us sleep better at night.
It’s Not Apathy, It’s a Blue Fog
With hundreds of mentions of cyber hacking, cyber-attacks and threats of business disruptions hitting the airwaves every week, it’s not like nobody’s noticed. Our citizens have watched and listened – maybe too often. It’s not that they don’t care, they simply don’t know what to do about it.
Always, in all ways, U.S. citizens rise to the occasion when neighbors, friends, and our way of life is threatened. Why should we expect them to be apathetic to the threat of cyber crimes?
Just as the ‘see something, say something’ campaign by Homeland Security helped to keep our eyes and ears open since 9-1-1, Americans need to know what they can do. The more we know, the less we fear. The more involved we are, the less helpless we feel. It’s a fact of human nature; and we are only human after all.
Aren’t Regulations and Compliance Enough?
Not by a long shot. Generally, cyber-security regulation doesn’t begin serve the problem it’s intended to resolve. Typically regulations are formulated with the idea of “we need to put rules in place keep everyone in their lane.” Ironically, specific compliance usually turns out to be the minimum you have to do to follow the regulation. Oh snap! What’s missing? A lot – like comprehension, cooperation and intentional common goals.
Take 4-way stop signs for instance. Everyone has to stop; that’s the law. Then you yield to the vehicle on your right if you’ve arrived at approximately the same time. And it works just fine, right? Wrong. Many times several cars pull up to stop at the same time, and several will start off simultaneously. Or they’ll screech to a slow crawl, and jump out before others (whose turn it is) because their journey is somehow ‘more important.’
Others, whose turn is next, hesitate because they don’t trust that the others will really wait for them. Samaritans kindly wave others to go ahead because they aren’t really in a hurry. Rinse and repeat.
Better solution: blinking 4-way yellow traffic lights. Slowing down and proceeding when it’s safe assumes we understand the intention, and have the sense to come to a full stop when it’s needed. Dealing with cyber threats should be done in the same kind of pragmatic method.
Putting a Personal Dent in Cyber Intrusion
Chances are you may already have an idea (or two) about how to keep your business and employees safe from a cyber-attack. Unfortunately, there’s every chance that you are highly underestimating the risks involved. And, that ‘protection’ you may have in place is no doubt far less than is needed. Dealing with cyber threats takes inside-outside knowledge of the process; i.e. Certified Ethical Hacking.
If you find yourself in unfamiliar territory, with foresight and prevention planning you can save your business – and your reputation. Cyber Forensics offers all the expert forensic services you may require to preempt catastrophic cyber events: data breach detection and mitigation, education and training, “0-Day” response with 72 hour analysis. For lawyers with cyber cases, it’s vital to have highly knowledgeable expert witnesses (with a proven track record in Federal and State court) to give credible testimony.
Our Cyber Forensics team has unsurpassed knowledge of most digital evidence cases. With a history in military intelligence procedures, Active Top Secret Clearance, and over 1000 successful cyber or intrusion investigations under our belts, we’re here for you!
