As the debate on the use of drone strikes fills the airwaves and column inches, a new method of warfare – cyber strikes – has emerged in a recent feature in the New York Times. The government is currently drafting the rules and procedures governing how the US military can react to or defend against the threat of a cyberattack, using its new arsenal of cyberweapons.
A cyber attack from a terrorist source or foreign entity is becoming a very real concern for the government. As a result the current administration is finalizing new policies to govern the way in which intelligence agencies search foreign computer networks for indications of potential cyberattacks and initiate strikes upon indentified risks by attacking them with destructive code.
This may all sound like science fiction, but stop and consider the lengths businesses within the US go to in order to protect their computer networks from hackers and cybercriminals. Security awareness training for staff is now considered the norm, firewalls and pass codes abound, and millions of dollars is spent each year on improving these security measures and awareness trainings. Governments are just as susceptible to cyberattacks and present an even juicier target, particularly to terrorist organizations. This is no longer science fiction, it's science fact, and every time you log onto your workstation at work, you're part of its ever-evolving reality.
In fact the US has already initiated the use of cyberweapons when President Obama green lit a run of cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear development facilities under the operational code name Olympic Games. You may never have expected that your business' IT network could be a battleground for highly sophisticated cyberwarfare, but that's exactly what is happening. As a result, IT security not only provides a seamless workflow in the office, it is also providing job security for the foreseeable future, or until the internet is rebuilt from scratch – and that's unlikely to be happening. No. IT security processes such as security training represents the best way to ensure our very jobs are protected.
While the US Government steps up its cyberattack readiness and prepares to defend US assets in cyberspace, so too should businesses keep ahead of the cybercriminals. Remember, many cyberattacks are against civilian targets such as the recent DDoS attacks on US Banks.
The Obama administration has suggested networks put in place much stronger firewalls and additional systems to provide a firm initial line of defense, but as yet has failed to get Congress to vote through any cybersecurity legislation that would enable the government to mandate cyber security practices and standards. For now, when it comes to online security your on your own.
A cyber attack from a terrorist source or foreign entity is becoming a very real concern for the government. As a result the current administration is finalizing new policies to govern the way in which intelligence agencies search foreign computer networks for indications of potential cyberattacks and initiate strikes upon indentified risks by attacking them with destructive code.
This may all sound like science fiction, but stop and consider the lengths businesses within the US go to in order to protect their computer networks from hackers and cybercriminals. Security awareness training for staff is now considered the norm, firewalls and pass codes abound, and millions of dollars is spent each year on improving these security measures and awareness trainings. Governments are just as susceptible to cyberattacks and present an even juicier target, particularly to terrorist organizations. This is no longer science fiction, it's science fact, and every time you log onto your workstation at work, you're part of its ever-evolving reality.
In fact the US has already initiated the use of cyberweapons when President Obama green lit a run of cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear development facilities under the operational code name Olympic Games. You may never have expected that your business' IT network could be a battleground for highly sophisticated cyberwarfare, but that's exactly what is happening. As a result, IT security not only provides a seamless workflow in the office, it is also providing job security for the foreseeable future, or until the internet is rebuilt from scratch – and that's unlikely to be happening. No. IT security processes such as security training represents the best way to ensure our very jobs are protected.
While the US Government steps up its cyberattack readiness and prepares to defend US assets in cyberspace, so too should businesses keep ahead of the cybercriminals. Remember, many cyberattacks are against civilian targets such as the recent DDoS attacks on US Banks.
The Obama administration has suggested networks put in place much stronger firewalls and additional systems to provide a firm initial line of defense, but as yet has failed to get Congress to vote through any cybersecurity legislation that would enable the government to mandate cyber security practices and standards. For now, when it comes to online security your on your own.
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