US Kids’ Lack of Interest in Game Programming a Security Threat?

Consumers spent almost $19 billion on video games last year, compared with only $9.7 billion at the box office.

Last summer, Iron Man led the box office with a $200 million opening weekend, while Take2 Interactive’s Grand Theft Auto IV took in more than $500 million in its first week alone, with many stores selling out their entire first shipment.

While much of the receipt difference arises from the average video game…

Potential ‘Cyber Czar’ Candidates Revealed

Melissa Hathaway, Rod Beckstrom and Paul Kurtz are the forerunners in the race to be the U.S. government’s first “cyber czar.” Don Adams, the Palo Alto-based chief technology officer, Worldwide, Public Sector for tech giant Tibco, said in a statement.

The Obama administration’s information security chief (a job title that still…

Dennis Blair: Covert Activity Laws ‘Slow,’ Undermine Field Operations

Retired Adm. Dennis Blair, director of National Intelligence, said in his confirmation hearings that existing laws governing the conduct of intelligence agencies are “currently slow and degrade the conduct of operations in the field.”

Last month, he released a letter to the intelligence community assuring it…

Gen. Keith Alexander Manning the Front Lines of Cyber Defense

Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander might not be a household name… yet.  He currently serves as head of the NSA and the Joint Functional Component Command  for Network Warfare  at Ft. Meade, Md., but his name has been floated as a possible head of the proposed Cyber Command, which would also be based…

Obama to Name Cyber Czar This Week

President Barack Obama is expected to announce that he will create a “cyber czar” later this week, according to a Washington Post story.

The post will entail a senior White House official who will execute a broad mandate to develop national-level strategy to protect critical public and private computer networks, according to officials briefed on the plan.

The new adviser will have the broadest, most comprehensive mandate ever granted…

Gartner Group: Feds Must Take Operational Cybersecurity Role

The Gartner Group released several recommendations for federal cybersecurity policy, advising the government to shift its focus away from increased reporting of attacks and visibility of the cybersecurity sector toward using its purchasing power to drive private-sector innovation toward eliminating built-in technological vulnerabilities rather than simply increasing firewall spending.

The condensed version looks something like this:

Take Action. The federal government is taking legislative actions (FISMA) and evaluating the shortcomings…

The Fifth Domain: The Future of Defense

The 24th Air Force Cyber Command will be based in San Antonio, Texas, as announced last week.

The provisional unit will operate under the command of Maj. Gen. William T. Lord under Air Force Space Command, and will operate in concert with the 67th Network Warfare Wing, the 688th Information Operations Wing, both headquartered…