Compiled by The Cyber Loop editor
Kyrgyzstan on verge of cyber war: The escalating ethnic conflict in Kyrgyzstan has already given rise to cyber attacks carried out on government and media websites. Russian cyber security experts refer to them as means of information warfare.
New cyber security threats facing the public sector: The US government is investing heavily in cyber security after the recent attacks on Google pushed the issue of targeted internet security breaches up the agenda.
Software [In]security: Cyber War – Hype or Consequences?: According to some of my foreign friends, the United States is wound around the cyber war axle for no apparent reason. They decry the recent spike in coverage of the cyber war issue as exaggerated and irrational. Given the relentless run up to the war in Iraq, perhaps they have a point (and they certainly have every right to be wary of U.S. policy). Yet a careful look at the problem uncovers something that may well be worth worrying about. So who is right?
Guest Commentary: Matt Olney on Lieberman cybersecurity bill: So the “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010” proposed legislation from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Thomas Carper provides a necessary rework of federal management of cybersecurity issues. There are a lot of things in the bill that I think are necessary.
Wage cyberwarfare before we lose control of arms race: In the New Republic, Jack Goldsmith has an essay that cuts through the fog surrounding the subject of cyberwarfare. The piece’s occasion is a new book on the subject by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake that sounds the alarm about the danger we might face one day from a concerted attack on the computer systems that underpin our economic and military infrastructure.
DHS Geek Squad: No Power, No Plan, Lots of Vacancies: The federal government still sucks at protecting its networks. One big reason why: The agency that’s supposed to tighten up Washington’s information security has neither the authority nor the manpower to respond effectively to the threat of electronic attacks.
WikiLeaks Founder Has Massacre Video: Julian Assange, who the Feds fear may release State Dept. secrets, denies having them—but he’s readying video of a deadly U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan.
U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team Woefully Unprepared: Report: The federal agency in charge of securing the government’s computer systems is unable to monitor the networks or analyze threats in real time, and it lacks the authority and staff it needs to do its job, according to an internal report.
Cyber-war a growing threat warn experts: In 2007, Estonia was the subject of a series of cyber attacks which crippled the internet across the country.
U.S. vulnerable to cyber threats, experts warn: On the face of it, the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the growing threat of a disabling cyber attack would seem to have little in common. But experts have warned Congress that the inability of government and industry to prevent or respond to a cyber threat could be equally disastrous.
Support snowballs early for Senate cyber bill: One day after it got its first hearing in the Senate, a bill to beef up the nation’s cybersecurity apparatus gained early support from prominent lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Open Society Makes Estonia a Target for Cyber Attacks: Experts from nearly 40 countries met in Estonia yesterday to discuss the latest issues in fighting cyber attackers and address the asymmetric nature of web-based threats.
Chinese Call for Cooperation – with Limits: While many people consider China to be one of the central perpetrators of cyber malfeasance, it is also equally concerned about cyber attacks. As such, the Chinese are now looking to promote greater cooperation on the international stage for cyberspace.
DHS Official: Cybersecurity Mission Requires Teamwork: The United States must be aware and focused on combating the threats in cyberspace, a DHS official told members of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
DHS: President has adequate authority to handle cyber emergencies: Senate legislative language allowing the White House to order companies to take specific security precautions to protect private computer networks is superfluous, the Homeland Security Department’s cyber chief said during a hearing on Wednesday.
Who’s In Charge During a Major Cyber Attack?: Rep. Peter King asked two straightforward question: If a sophisticated attacked occurred against the United States financial systems, who would coordinate the response and whose authorities would be triggered?
Is the U.S. prepared for cyber war or are we sitting ducks?: Before I say anything at all, please eyeball this quote from 60 Minutes by Admiral Mike McConnell, previously chief of national intelligence who oversaw CIA, DIA, and NSA, regarding the cyber terrorism and the US electricity infrastructure.
iPad hack not so harmless: The hack of iPad user info on the AT&T site may be much worse than an embarrassment, according to a security researcher who specializes in mobile devices. Yes, says Chris Paget of IOActive on his blog, the Integrated Circuit Card IDs (ICCIDs) exposed in the iPad attacks are intended to be public.