Government

Report: US Must Improve Cyber Defense and Intelligence Capabilities

WASHINGTON– (The Blaze/AP)– A new study warns that the U.S. must develop cyber intelligence as a new and better coordinated government discipline that can predict computer-related threats and deter them.US Must Improve Cyber Defense and Intelligence Capabilities

The report by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance says the dramatic expansion of sophisticated cyber-attacks has moved beyond acceptable losses for government and businesses that simply threaten finances or intellectual property.

“The impact has increased in magnitude, and the potential for catastrophic collapse of a company has grown,” said the report, which is slated to be released later this month. It adds that it is not clear that the business community understands or accepts that.

The report comes amid growing worries the U.S. is not prepared for a major cyberattack, even as hackers, criminals and nation states continue to probe and infiltrate government and critical business networks millions of times a day.

INSA, a non-partisan national security organization, says the U.S. must develop strategies beyond the current “patch and pray” procedures, create cyber intelligence policies, coordinate and share intelligence better among government agencies and businesses, and increase research on attack attribution and warnings.

And it says the U.S. must develop effective cyber intelligence so officials can assess and mitigate the risks.

Many of the report’s observations echo sentiments expressed by Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security officials who have been struggling to improve information sharing between the government and key businesses. But efforts to craft needed cybersecurity legislation have stalled on Capitol Hill.

INSA’s report also lays out the growing threats from other nations – including those who are friendly, corrupt or just unable to control hackers within their borders.

While it doesn’t name the countries, it notes that failed states provide opportunities for hackers, as they do for criminals and terrorists, while other nations tolerate the criminals as long as they concentrate their activities beyond their borders.

U.S. officials have long pointed to Russia and China, as well as a number of Eastern European nations, as some of the leading safe havens for cybercriminals, or government-sponsored or tolerated hacking.

At the same time, the report warns that the U.S. has also outsourced much of the design and maintenance of computer technology to other countries where potential adversaries can easily insert themselves into the supply chain.

“The present situation is as dangerous as if the United States decided to outsource the design of bridges, electrical grids, and other physical infrastructure to the Soviet Union during the Cold War,” said INSA, which is headed by Frances Townsend, who was homeland security adviser in the Bush administration.

Much like the criticism of the overall intelligence community in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, the INSA report says that cyber intelligence needs better coordination among government agencies, as well as with the private sector.

Comments (27)

  • Injunator
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 4:11pm

    Wisdom of Solomon 9:14
    For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our DEVICES are but uncertain.

    2 Esdras 9:20
    So I considered the world, and, behold, there was peril because of the DEVICES that were come into it.

    Report Post »  
  • Injunator
    Posted on September 21, 2011 at 4:09pm

    2 Esdras 9:20
    So I considered the world, and, behold, there was peril because of the DEVICES that were come into it.

    Report Post »  
  • PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
    Posted on September 14, 2011 at 9:30am

    Pass the Shield Act…and include HARDENING THE GRID. The Senate has taken out the most important part of the bill …. EMP Hardening. One year after a EMP 2/3 of U.S. citizens would be dead.

    Report Post » PIGSWILLNEVERFLY  
  • Al J Zira
    Posted on September 13, 2011 at 12:04pm

    Duh!

    Report Post » Al J Zira  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:42pm

      I think the enemy already gets enough “intelligence” from our agencies. Let’s leave them in their present ignorant state. We’re all safer.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • TomFerrari
    Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:20am

    Government power grab… LITERALLY – a “POWER” grab.

    California’s own congressmen/senators voted to PROHIBIT CALIFORNIA’S FARMERS from using the water that flows through their own land ! All in the name of some bait fish (delta smelt, i think).

    The REAL reason, is…

    HE WHO CONTROLS THE RESOURCES CONTROLS THE PEOPLE.

    Now, with control of our water, and our electricity…
    EITHER WE DO WHAT WE ARE TOLD, OR ELSE ! ! !

    This is also a giant transfer of wealth from US LITTLE people to giant corporations like GE and IBM.
    Companies that have gown so large, they saturated the market with their own products. Now, they are suckling at the FRONT TEAT of Uncle Sam-bama.

    Too big to fail, is a misnomer – it should be, “TOO BIG TO SUCCEED”.

    Global corporations have no self-responsibility, only a responsibility to MAKE MONEY for their shareholders – an overwhelmingly anonymous group of RISK HOLDERS.
    In a small business, the owner KNOWS the employees personally, and has an obligation to them.
    Global corporations have no reason to feel RESPONSIBLE to their American employees.

    Same with unions. Unions are a 3rd party in negotiations, NOT an unbiased representative of the employees.
    .
    .

    Govt systems should never have been connected to PUBLIC networks. The hardware and software should be proprietary, and incompatible. This creates a PHYSICAL BARRIER to data and to hacking.
    .
    .
    .

    Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:24am

      BTW – my utility company already installed the ‘smart’ meter – AND BILLS ME FOR IT ! !

      Over $300.00 ! ! !

      Oh, they’re being nice and spreading it over a long period of time, though, as though that makes it okay that I was forced to pay for THEIR infrastructure improvements that allow them to eliminate meter readers / jobs. NO CHOICE.

      Utilities are monopolies in most areas, and are not operating under the market rules of capitalism.
      .

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
      Posted on September 14, 2011 at 9:26am

      There is a bill in the house for hardening the grid against cyber attacks. The shield act. The Senate took out EMP hardening from the bill. It is predicted that one ear after a EMP two-thirds of US citizens would be dead. Estimates are $20 billion to protect us. There are things that can bring down the grid. A EMP; A cyber attack with cascading effects that would blow big transformers, A rogue scud launcher (cst $100,000.) or crude nuclear weapon (nuclear EMP) gamma rays (N. Korea has?); A Kerrington event which is a solar storm which happens every 100 years. Suggest letting congress pass a bill to HARDEN THE GRID NOW!!

      Report Post » PIGSWILLNEVERFLY  
  • Okieflyover
    Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:07am

    I can’t say what I do for a living here because I would cross many lines very quickly, but this is a HUGE issue.

    Report Post »  
    • dizzyinthedark
      Posted on September 13, 2011 at 6:45am

      I’m in total agreement with you in regards to this being a huge problem as the Smart Meters are being installed onto homes allowing for total control/shut down of American power (literally). Smart Meters are essentially the ‘cart before the horse’ as a Smart Grid is needed, but years away from this technology. This technology for the SG is being developed and once this is in place then all of American power will be vulnerable to these cyber attacks. Way to go GE, who played a role in developing the Smart Meter to sell to the power companies (you made a bundle here) and way to go Silver Springs for being one company that is working on the technology for Smart Meters–you too have made a bundle of $$ here!

      Stop the Smart Meter’s from being forced onto our homes!!

      Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:58am

      Liberals are funny, really funny…

      All computers and computer software are made in China. Even computers used by our military are made in China so what kind of cyber attack will we defend against with our Chinese computers? One day the Chinese military will send out a kernal on the internet and all US cars, computers, airplanes, and phones will stop working all at once. What a day that will be.

      Report Post »  
  • TH30PH1LUS
    Posted on September 13, 2011 at 1:56am

    I was at a meeting when proposals were being made to host Cyber Command at a West Coast military base. Wish it had happened, because of proximity to technology resources here. But it didn’t.

    Good thing Obama is staunchly supporting our military… Oh, wait, he isn’t. Oh well, better get back to brushing up on my Mandarin…

    Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
    • JRook
      Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:53am

      Ah yes we need more reports to protect against cuts in defense spending. No reason the IT companies shouldn’t get a bigger piece of the pie.

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:24pm

    Why should this come as a shock to anyone that we are behind the eight ball in the matter of cyber security and defense; let alone in anything else under this administration.
    http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (cat folk art)

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Mary Just
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:15pm

    this crooked corrupt government will use this mostly use this to spy on American citizens. If we get the upper hand all government employees who have spied, assaulted or committed other devious acts on Americans should be prosecuted down to the level of clerk.

    Report Post »  
    • kelsey
      Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:05pm

      everything we do these days is digital. other countries want to steal our information. there needs to be security and this is a very serious problem.

      Report Post »  
  • flsnipe
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:59pm

    They should just ask, Obummer would be happy to give them what ever they want.

    Report Post » flsnipe  
  • Ron_WA
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:35pm

    The price for freedom is eternal vigilance (Thomas Jefferson) & the federal govt. has been generally pretty good about this.

    I have personal knowledge of our computer oriented info assurance & security efforts w/in the Defense Dept & intel community from the early 1980s & it’s been dang good. We’ve been working communications security from well before we were a nation & we’re the best in the world at it.

    It’s the public infrastructure, utilities, & communications that need the most effort. Most private business generally does fairly well because of the profit incentive to remain a secure place to do business but some are too vulnerable.

    I support their info sharing proposals but caution against centralized regulations.

    Report Post » Ron_WA  
  • orlandojon
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:14pm

    Won’t happen under Obama

    Report Post »  
  • justquitsmoking
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:08pm

    LTG Pollett is probably one of the most sigificant IT visionaries of our time.

    Report Post »  
  • Rowgue
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:02pm

    This hasn’t really been news since about 1985, but all you need to do is protect your critical systems. There are some very simple steps to take that make a system impossible to get into short of some kind of hollywood movie type of infiltration, which only happen in hollywood movies for a reason.

    Report Post »  
  • sWampy
    Posted on September 12, 2011 at 7:55pm

    Some reason cyber security is one of those areas like human resources government has used to store useless employees. Human resources they learned early on they could fill win minorities, then those minorities could give insider info to other minorities so they could destroy our standard of living from within. Computer security has become a dumping ground where failed computer people are dumped to scan for intruders and to cover upper management butts.

    Report Post »  
    • Exrepublisheep
      Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:26pm

      MINORITIES!!!! How could they??

      Report Post » Exrepublisheep  
    • justquitsmoking
      Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:53pm

      In the DoD we have DoD 8570 which ensures those who perform security work have the corresponding commercial certification in the environment and systems for which they work to ensure technical proficiency, which usually must be maintained during the life of the career. Can’t speak for the rest of the government, but the DoD is tight on skill sets, and I can assure you, no one is dumping unskilled engineers in an environment in which is common place to rip open packets ,analyze payloads and develop IDS signatures… that ain’t happening. The minority comment is ignorant, and sounds like it‘s coming from a salty developer who’s had his system exposed for being swiss cheese.

      Report Post »  
    • kelsey
      Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:06pm

      you have no idea what you are talking about… what do you do that gives you this information?? landscaping??

      Report Post »  

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