cybersecurity

Lieberman Alleges Iran Hacked US Banks

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For several days, Bank of America’s systems had problems. The problems – primarily denial of service disruptions – hit their web site and reportedly their mobile banking services.

For BofA, the nation’s largest bank based on assets, this was not the first issue or attack they experienced in the past year. Nor in fact, was BofA the only U.S. financial institution that has been experiencing what appears to be a series of directed cyber attacks. JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also are reported to have been struck by similar related aggressive cyber activities, beginning last year. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 24, 2012 at 12:14 PM

Go With White House Exec Order, Says House Cyber Chairman

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Many members of Congress don’t really understand cyber issues and that’s getting in the way of passing legislation to protect the country, said the leader of the House Homeland cybersecurity subcommittee.

The public takes the use of the Internet for granted and that complacency extends to some members of Congress said Dan Lungren, chairman of the House Homeland cybersecurity subcommittee. “It is not just a domain of warfare. It is a domain of everyday living. Everything we do depends on that today,” he said at a recent defense industry conference. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 24, 2012 at 9:30 AM

A CISO’s Thumb Drive Frustration

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Recently I was with a CISO of a multi-billion dollar critical infrastructure provider in the private sector.

We were conducting a security scan and compiling a list of issues and areas that needed to be addressed as part of his overall security program. While at one of the facilities he received a notification that he shared with me. The message was that they had traced back the source of a breach that had occurred a few months back. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 17, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Smart Policies for Smartphones in the Workplace

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New college graduates entering the workforce this year may have gotten their first iPhone in high school and their first email address in middle school. While the class of 2007 used laptops for research in their dorm rooms, this year’s graduates could fact-check.

Surely, these new hires will have different expectations for the technology employers will provide and how it will be used. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 13, 2012 at 9:00 AM

The White House Takes Cyber Action

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For weeks now rumors have been circulating about the White House working to draft an executive order, which will put in place cybersecurity measures to protect the critical infrastructure of the United States.

A glimpse of the draft’s intent was released in news reports in recent days, including a Washington Post report, which among other points, noted that the plans called for voluntary standards. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 10, 2012 at 1:30 PM

The Big Intelligence Picture

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Ever consider the massive amount of intelligence that the United States collects and uses in the defense of the country and our allies? It is surely massive given the scope of our collection effort.

Many people do not realize that the U.S. intelligence community is comprised of 16 separate agencies, not including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence which is responsible for leading intelligence integration. These agencies are tasked with foreign and domestic intelligence collection, analysis support of military planning, and in some cases performing acts of espionage:

  1. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
  2. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)
  3. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)
  4. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
  5. Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
  6. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  7. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
  8. National Security Agency (NSA)
  9. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
  10. Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (OICI)
  11. Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)
  12. Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI)
  13. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  14. Office of National Security Intelligence (DEA/ONSI)
  15. Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
  16. Dept of Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI)

Source: Wikipedia

Now we have to add U.S. Cyber Command to that list.

In addition, we have to add all the private sector organizations that have established their own security intelligence and cyber intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities as well as those in industry protecting against cybersecurity threats as well.

Oh – we should not forget the state and local law enforcement intelligence units that exist around the country.

Now let’s add the black-ops (clandestine) intelligence community members.

Add them all up and that paints a reasonable picture of the intelligence coverage we have in place. It sounds like allot, but given the number of kinetic and non-kinetic threat we face, it’s not!

One has to wonder how much more effective our intelligence efforts could be if regulations requiring separation did not exist and a collaborative/sharing environment along with the systems required for collaborative support were in place.

While those regulations were probably put in place for good reason when they were enacted, times have changed. Maybe it is time to revisit the restrictions.

Kevin G. Coleman is a long-time security technology executive and former Chief Strategist at Netscape. He is Senior Fellow with the Technolytics Institute where he provides consulting services on strategic technology and security issues. He writes a weekly blog for Breaking Gov on the topic of cyber intelligence.
 /  Published September 4, 2012 at 10:30 AM

How Following Cybersecurity Standards Saves Money

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Cybersecurity is on the top of many public and private sector IT agendas these days. But while organizations focus on the software and hardware to police networks, they often don’t consider the standards necessary to have all those defenses working together, or the possible cost savings that can be achieved through improved cybersecurity.

Standards and guidelines are often overlooked in the cybersecurity space in favor of cost savings, said Donna Dodson, deputy cybersecurity advisor at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 29, 2012 at 1:00 PM

On Cyber Guard At The Voting Booth

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As we approach the 2012 presidential election, concerns are being raised about the likelihood of cyber attacks leading up to and during that event. There are many individuals, groups and rogue nation states that would like nothing better than to disrupt this year’s election.

Several months ago, a video was posted by those claiming to be from the well know hacktivist group Anonymous that alluded to plans for launching cyber initiatives that target the 2012 presidential election. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 27, 2012 at 1:24 PM

Biological Constructs As Metaphors For Developing System Architectures

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Last week I read about a research team at Harvard led by George Church that encoded Church’s next book into the molecules of DNA. As the write-up in the Harvard Medical School web page, said:

“Although George Church’s next book doesn’t hit the shelves until Oct. 2, it has already passed an enviable benchmark: 70 billion copies-roughly triple the sum of the top 100 books of all time.” Keep reading →

 /  Published August 24, 2012 at 8:19 AM

Feds@Work: VA Mobile Security Chief Slams Door on Breaches

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Like many federal leaders today, Donald Kachman spends a lot of time thinking about security for the growing number of mobile devices in his agency.

And he’s coming up with solutions. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 22, 2012 at 11:00 AM
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