CyberSecurity and the Threat to National Security

2034 Words5 Pages

It is difficult to define cyberculture because its boundaries are uncertain and applications to certain circumstances can often be disputed. The common threads of defining cyberculture is a culture which has evolved and continues to evolve from the use of computer networks and the internet and is guided by social and cultural movements reflective of advancements in scientific and technological information. It is not a unified culture but rather a culture that exists in cyberspace and is a compilation of numerous new technologies and capabilities, used by diverse people in diverse real – world locations. Cyberculture, a twentieth century phenomena, has brought challenges unlike any other that the United States has seen in the areas of cyber security and its impact on our most critical institutions. This presentation will focus on the aforementioned three entities where national security is in jeopardy in part due to cyberculture and its intentional use for disruptive and destructive purposes. Breaches of security to the United States Department of Defense, the national power grid and the Chamber of Commerce are very real and omnipresent.

The Defense Department made an admission of the first major cyber attack upon its systems in August 2010. It was revealed that the attack actually took place in 2008 and was accomplished byplacing a malicious code into the flash drive of a U.S. military laptop. “The code spread undetected on both classified and unclassified systems, establishing what amounted to a digital breachhead.” (2) This quote , attributed to then Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III , is just part of the shocking revelations that were disclosed in his speech made on July 14, 2011. Lynn said that...

... middle of paper ...

...ather than a proactive one. According CNET News dated December 21, 2011, it is possible that this invasion, “ could have gained access to all information the Chamber has on its 3 million members .” (19) The only counter measures taken so far and that have been revealed is that the 300 Internet addresses were shut down in May 2010. The very recent public notification of this cyber-attack will continue to unfold and what new implemented strategies to prevent a reoccurance remains to be seen.

As a patriot of this great nation, what has been presented is of extreme if not grave concern. The challenges of cyberculture to our nation’s security have been revealed . To what extent our security has been breached is a matter of speculation but be informed that these breaches must be met with complete counter active success - failure to do so is not an option.

.

Open Document