Cyber Security Awareness Month
![Binary code superimposed on a computer keyboard](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090105210744im_/http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/uploaded_images/computer_code-703810.jpg)
Today marks the beginning of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is a good opportunity to remind our readers of the importance of protecting yourselves and your businesses against the growing threat of cyber attacks.
Worldwide, cyber attacks are increasing in sophistication and frequency every day. We have seen stories in the news recently of countries engaging outright in cyber warfare. Over the summer, authorities also uncovered the largest case of identity theft in U.S history, involving the theft of more than 40 million credit card numbers stolen from the computer systems of several major U.S. retailers. These acts have very real consequences for ordinary Americans, as any victim of identity theft can attest.
We take the threat of cyber attacks seriously at the Department. Working with other agencies, we have embarked on a major effort across the government to protect federal systems and networks. This includes reducing the number of external access points to our systems and improving our intrusion detection capabilities. We’ve established a new National Cyber Security Center to improve coordination and information sharing. We are expanding our 24-hour watch and warning system – the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team – and hiring new cyber professionals. And we’re taking steps to prevent compromised computer products and electronics from entering the global supply chain and reaching our country.
But the reality is we can’t meet these challenges by ourselves. We don’t own the Internet or our nation’s IT or communications infrastructure. Most of our nation’s cyber assets are in private sector hands. Protecting them will require a new level of partnership with businesses and companies of all sizes, as well as individual citizens.
What can you do to help? Start by making sure you are practicing good cyber security in your home or office. This means ensuring your antivirus software is properly functioning and up-to-date. Change your computer passwords regularly, and when you do, make sure you don’t write them down or leave them near your computer where someone can easily exploit them. Don’t open suspicious e-mail or visit suspicious websites. And make sure you know exactly what you’re downloading.
These are all common-sense recommendations, but unfortunately too many Americans fail to take even these basic steps. I hope over the next month you’ll do your part to increase our nation’s cyber defenses from the ground up and help us mitigate the impact of a major cyber attack. The alternative could be a very serious disruption of a vital part of our society and our nation’s economy. Like other areas of homeland security, the time to prepare is now.
Michael Chertoff
Labels: cyber security, preparedness
3 Comments:
I am a research analyst for Bio-authentication, Enrollment and Verification. I have become entrenched in legislature and CONOPS that pertain to the building of the "Transformation Program” and the building of the new Mega Computer Information Sharing Environment.
It is CRITICAL to Identify Correctly who someone is upon Entry or Exit into borders of air, land, sea and VIRTUALLY in CYBERSPACE. The thought of corporate spies’ keystrokes away from critical computer systems that wage attacks on Fortune 500 Companies, Financial markets and even Governments is a frightening thought.
With the pandemic Money laundering and identity theft the Financial Action task force estimates nearly 5% of global GDP which equates to 1.5 Trillion dollars USD is lost yearly. http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/44/11/37101744.pdf
1.How do we bio authenticate in CYBER SPACE?
2.What are the enemies stealing and destroying within the cyber borders?
3.How are they siphoning money out of our backs and credit card companies?
4. What are the banks doing to protect their assets?
Under Section 326 of the Patriot Act (Verification of Identification) along with the IRTPA SEC. 7208. The solution was biometrics.
The GOALS simply have not been met and they are as follows; .
BIOMETRIC ENTRY AND EXIT DATA SYSTEM. ENTRY-EXIT SYSTEM GOALS. —The Department of Homeland Security shall operate the biometric entry and exit system so that it—
(1) serves as a vital counterterrorism tool;
(2) screens travelers efficiently and in a welcoming manner;
(3) provides inspectors and related personnel with adequate real-time information;
(4) ensures flexibility of training and security protocols to most effectively comply with security mandates;
(5) integrates relevant databases and plans for database modifications to address volume increase and database usage; .
(6) Improves database search capacities by utilizing language algorithms to detect alternate names.
The Last goal has been over looked.
How are a thumb print from IDENT or a retinal scan from IRIS know the dialect and ONE VOICE of each unique person?
If we can't touch or feel them or see them hiding behind binary 000001010111101010101010000101010101001010101010101010010110101001010100000101
Perhaps we can hear them better with cell phone networks having four Billion people dialed in soon...Voice Biometrics could very well be the non evasive non intrusive easy way to have people enroll, authenticate and verify remotely by listening to their Voice Identity Print or VIP.
I wish the American people strength during these trying times.
Be well & live well,
Zell.
By
Living Well Zell, At
October 1, 2008 7:20 PM
I am a retired Department of Homeland Security Senior Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center http://www.fletc.gov
and coined the term 'Cybercop' in the late 80's. Nine years ago Dr Fred Cohen (who did the seminal research on computer viruses in the early 80's) and I published a short document on the Net which was used as a handout to Federal and State and Local Cybercops at a training session conducted by the US Treasury Department at Sandia National Labs in Livermore, California. That document was titled:
"50 Ways to Protect Your Information Assets When Cruising the Internet"
The document is still quite relevant to the issue of online security and is found on Dr Cohen's web site at:
http://all.net/journal/50/cybercop.html
Kevin Manson
"Red Tape Will Not Defeat Terrorism"
Co-Founder, Cybercop Portal, a DHS Endorsed Secure Online Information Sharing System with a DARPA pedigree for over 12,000 Law Enforcement First Responder and and Industry Professionals
kevin.manson@gmail.com
By
kevin.manson@gmail.com, At
October 1, 2008 8:38 PM
The fact that October is "Cyber-Security" awareness month is great. However, unless citizens stumble upon this information - How is anyone going to know?
A couple of weeks ago I spoke to a class of Graduate students on cyberterrorism and they didn't know. In fact, I could not find anyone who knew. Even worse - I cannot find anyone who cares.
What is DHS or other government agencies doing to promote....well, the promoting of Cyber Security Month or National Preparedness Month (last month)?
By
truthbetold4all, At
October 28, 2008 2:35 PM
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