Mike McConnell: Debate will Continue until ‘Catastrophic Event’ Happens

Mike McConnell, former director of national intelligence, believes the United States is not moving quickly and effectively enough to secure the nation’s networks.

Speaking at the “Cyber 1.0” conference, McConnell said prior to leaving the federal sector, he advocated for the creating of an “independent specified command” that would be responsible for securing civilian…

Cyber Spies Attack Contractors “Every Hour”

Defense contractors are under consistent attack by foreign intelligence services attempting to gather intelligence related information, according to a report by the Defense Security Service. Instances of cyber espionage place the U.S.’s competitive advantage, technical lead and military advantage at risk, as well as potentially compromising national security interests.

“United States defense-related technologies and information are under attack:…

Gen. Harry Raduege on Legal Hurdles in Cyberspace

In the fight against cyber crime, while exciting technological advances and major data heists often steal the spotlight, most of the effective actions taken against cyber criminals have taken place in court.

Writing about the Waledac botnet take-down on Microsoft’s Malware Protection Center blog, program manager Jeff Williams opined, “we’ve also learned from this experience that our legal action has been successful in helping to sever…

Leaks on Internet a Threat to National Security

The U.S. Army views Wikileaks.org, a website that publishes “secret” government and corporate documents, as a potential threat to national security and has made plans to marginalize the website’s effectiveness.

Last week, Wikileaks published an Army report, published internally in March 2008, which examined the website and its possible implications for national security. The counterintelligence study said that there…

Is the U.S. Ready for X-Ray Vision?

The recent attempts by underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to detonate explosives on flight to Detroit in December and the attempt by a terrorist in Saudi Arabia to blow up Prince Mohammed bin Nayef with explosives in his rectum, has raised concern among transportation officials on how to detect explosives hidden beneath clothing. The U.S., along with several other…

RSA Conference Yields Expert Advice

Last week, RSA held its annual conference out in San Francisco, CA. The conference brought together cyber experts from around the world, along with notable speakers like DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller and Howard Schmidt, the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator.

The topics discussed range from cloud computing to…

Cyber: A General Perspective

Over the weekend, Adm. Mike McConnell, former DNI and presently heading the cyber effort at Booz Allen, published an article in The Washington Post calling for a new strategy and thought process for cybersecurity in the United States. The article highlighted a number of key strategies McConnell believes the nation should look…

Cyber Defenders of the World Unite!

This week, RSA’s conference in California looks “ to drive the worldwide information security agenda,” says conference general manager Sandra Toms LaPedis.

As instances of cyber attacks continue to grow more prevalent, cyber warriors and national security officials are gathering in California to examine methods to enhance cyber defenses. The RSA conference,…

Experts Join Core Security Technologies Advisory Board

Core Secure Technologies announced that Melissa Hathaway, Roland Cloutier and John Stewart have joined their advisory board, which will help guide company strategy, product plans and vulnerability research. Core Secure Technologies is the provider of CORE IMPACT Pro, a comprehensive tool for proactive enterprise security testing.

As founding members of…

Cyber Needs Different Considerations Mr. Franken

Late last year, President Obama signed into law the Franken Amendment, which is an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill. It took effect last Tuesday and received both praise and derision from interested parties.

The initial impetus behind the Franken Amendment was a result of the alleged rape by fellow contracting employees…