Richard Clarke: Obama Administration, DHS Have Done ‘Nothing’ about Cyber War, Threats

The Obama administration has failed to do the necessary when it comes to cyber war, and Department of Homeland Security has “done nothing” about cyber threats to the critical infrastructure, according to former counterterrorism czar in the Clinton and Bush administrations. 

Addressing the Cyber Conflict Studies Association in Washington, D.C., Richard…

US CERT: Malware Attacks on Feds Motivated by Money Not Terrorism

Malware attacks against federal agencies appear to be predominately motivated by financial gain rather than terrorism or espionage, according to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team at DHS.

Around 90 percent of malware incidents detected against U.S. government networks in the first half of 2010 were meant to steal money from unsuspecting users, rather than steal data, as…

Commerce Sec. Locke: “The government is not in a position to engineer precise technology solutions”

Earlier this week, the White House held a high-level meeting with government and private sector officials to discuss the progress the administration has made regarding cybersecurity. The meeting, chaired by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, included DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

The meeting focused on private-public partnerships in…

White House Cyber Meeting Stresses Partnerships

Yesterday, President Barack Obama and several key officials met with members of the private sector to discuss the progress of cybersecurity efforts in the past year. Chaired by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, the meeting also included Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance (ISA), also attended…

DHS Announces Winners of Cyber Awareness Challenge

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the winners of DHS’ National Cybersecurity Awareness Challenge. The competition, launched earlier this year, asked private sector companies and members of the public to submit creative ways to increase cybersecurity awareness in the United States.

“Everyone has a stake in cybersecurity, and everyone has a role to play in keeping our networks…

DHS Looks to New Cyber Ecosystem

With mounting concern regarding the current security architecture, the Department of Homeland Security is approaching the problem by looking to develop a new cyber ecosystem, rather than patch vulnerabilities in the old system.

During the AFCEA Cybersecurity Symposium in Washington last week, Bruce McConnell counselor to the deputy undersecretary of National Protection and Programs Directorate…

Memo Outlines Cyber Responsibilities for Coordinator, OMB and DHS

A recently released memo has outlined the duties and responsibilities of OMB, DHS and the Cybersecurity Coordinator surrounding cybersecurity efforts.

“DHS oversees critical infrastructure protection, operates the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), oversees implementation of the Trusted Internet Connection initiative, and takes other actions to help secure both the Federal civilian government systems and the private sector,” the…

Cyber Bill Clears Committee

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has unanimously approved a comprehensive cybersecurity bill yesterday.

The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, S.3480, submitted by Sens. Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Tom Carper, would create a new cyber center within the Department of Homeland Security and create a White House Office of Cyberspace Policy…

DHS’ Head of Cyber Division Outlines Goals

Earlier this year, Roberta Stempfley was named director of the National Cybersecurity Division at the Department of Homeland Security. She is responsible for, among other duties, U.S.-CERT which was recently criticized by the Inspector General of DHS.

Recently, Stempfley sat down with GovInfoSecurity to discuss her plans for the future.

“I always tell people that I live…

Richard Steinnon: DHS Not Using Right Tools for Cyber War

The Department of Homeland Security is not employing the right tools for cyber warfare, writes Richard Steinnon, author of Surviving Cyberwar.

Citing the recent hearing in which the inspector general of DHS gave testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Steinnon writes that the problem with U.S.-CERT is not the staffing…