CybersecurityMaking cybersecurity a political issue
U.S. federal agencies have reported a dramatic rise in the number of cyberattacks over the past few years, with reported cyber incidents rising from 5,503 in 2006 to 48,562 in 2012. Since cyber incidents pose such a threat to national security and infrastructure, could cybersecurity become a political campaign issue? Experts say that if politicians were to focus their attention, and their constituents’ attention, on cybersecurity, the United States could be made safer from cyberattacks before a “cyber Pearl Harbor” – or a “cyber 9/11” – occurs.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that federal agencies have reported a dramatic rise in the number of cyberattacks over the past few years. Reported cyber incidents rose from 5,503 in 2006 to 48,562 in 2012.
Malicious code and unauthorized access were the most widely reported cyber incidents across the federal government. The Defense Department claims that ten million attempted cyber intrusions are made against DoD’s computer systems every day, and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) says it faces millions of hacking attempts daily. Thomas D’Agostino, head of the NNSA, notes that the attacks are carried out not only by other governments, but also by private hackers around the world.
The Washington Post quotes D’Agostino to say that just last year, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory was hacked and several megabits of data were stolen.
Since cyber incidents pose such a threat to national security and infrastructure, could cybersecurity become a political campaign issue?
City, state, and national politicians are responsible for policies which secure utility, energy, and infrastructure assets. These assets operate on computer networks prone to cyberattacks. Hackers have the ability to disrupt street traffic lights, shut down electric grids in cities and towns, and compromise water supplies. The Post notes, however, that few politicians have focused attention on securing the nation’s cyber infrastructure.
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti may be an exception, deciding to make cybersecurity a central part of the city’s infrastructure modernization program. Los Angeles has created a Cyber Intrusion Command Center to protect the city’s public infrastructure, securing critical assets including airports, water supply, and electric grid from cyber attacks — foreign and domestic. The command center will work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service as a “rapid reaction force” to cyber attacks.
“The command center will identify and investigate cyber threats to city assets, ensure any intrusion is immediately addressed, and will constantly work to reduce security risks and prevent unauthorized access,” Garcetti said. “It will also plan for continuity for recovery in case of a severe attack on our city.”
Dominic Basulto, writing in the Post, says that “Cybersecurity is like global terrorism before 2001 — it’s something that percolates in the background until something tragic happens that moves the issue front and center.”
If politicians were to focus their attention, and their constituents’ attention, on cybersecurity, the United States could be made safer from cyberattacks before a “cyber Pearl Harbor” – or a “cyber 9/11” – occurs.
