According to Governing magazine:
2020 was the year that the COVID-19 crisis also brought a cyber pandemic. Late last year, the security industry’s top experts from global cybersecurity company leadership predicted even worse cybersecurity outcomes for 2021 compared to what we saw in 2020.
Apps won't work. Appliances may not work. People don't even know all the things they depend on. All of a sudden, the supply chain starts getting disrupted because computers don't work…."
"The problem is nobody knows what the rules are. There's no written document on what the rules are," he said.
"And I don't know if you will get people to agree to rules on espionage because of the asymmetry where most countries can't beat us with tanks, can't beat us with airplanes. But in cyber, maybe that's where they can make investments and beat us."
"The problem is nobody knows what the rules are. There's no written document on what the rules are," he said.
"And I don't know if you will get people to agree to rules on espionage because of the asymmetry where most countries can't beat us with tanks, can't beat us with airplanes. But in cyber, maybe that's where they can make investments and beat us."
Ariel Cohen adds:
A future hack could target civilian infrastructure, disrupting hospital systems or the air traffic control frequencies our country relies on every day. If systems can be compromised for months without anyone knowing — as they were in SolarWinds SWI +1.4% — a coordinated attack could strike dozens of military and civilian targets simultaneously.
Reckless government spending is at full throttle with the example du jour a $5.7 billion cyber defense system created to protect computers at federal agencies against hackers. Despite its mind-boggling price tag the system is seriously flawed and uses features already available in much cheaper commercial-grade products, according to a federal probe made public recently.
The problem, besides sticking it to taxpayers for the exorbitant cost, is that the multibillion-dollar system simply doesn’t work. Nevertheless, the bloated agency handling this particular boondoggle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), insists the program, National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS), is effective despite its documented failures. This is par for the course at the monstrous agency created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation safe.
The problem, besides sticking it to taxpayers for the exorbitant cost, is that the multibillion-dollar system simply doesn’t work. Nevertheless, the bloated agency handling this particular boondoggle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), insists the program, National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS), is effective despite its documented failures. This is par for the course at the monstrous agency created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation safe.
The government can't even protect itself:
A Senate subcommittee report reveals specifics of the D.C. disaster when it comes to these eight federal government agencies and cybersecurity. "Over the past decade, IGs (Inspector Generals) for all eight agencies reviewed by the Subcommittee found each agency failed to timely remediate cyber vulnerabilities and apply security patches. For example, the HUD and State IGs identified the failure to patch security vulnerabilities seven of the last ten annual audits. HHS and Education cybersecurity audits highlighted failures to apply security patches eight out of ten years. For the last nine years, USDA failed to timely apply patches. Both DHS and DOT failed to properly apply security patches for the last ten consecutive years."
If the DOT and the DHS can't protect themselves, be afraid, be very afraid.