Once again I find myself liking White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt’s approach even if I think his position is weakened based on placement, authority, etc. In a Bill Brenner article today on CSOonline, Schmidt points to the defense against the wide range of threats, including coordinated attacks, to be best lead from the private sector.
“You guys have been carrying the water,” Schmidt told attendees at CSO Perspectives 2010 Tuesday. The government can do a lot to improve the nation’s cyber defenses. But ultimately, he said, the key to warding off attacks like the one Google experienced remains private-sector vigilance.
The information security community cannot expect a government bailout when it comes to defending infrastructure and information. The private sector not only is the key to defense but also is the problem. Too many organizations have created a Cyber-Maginot line that merely creates the illusion of security while the more agile attackers circumvent stale and slow moving defensive positions. The private sector needs to participate in an active defense against multiple threats and have a solid response plan should the defenses fail.
Schmidt is right. The threats and motivations for attacks are varied and we must be in a position to defend against them all. This is a day-to-day fight.
But the lack of state-against-state warfare shouldn’t keep IT security practitioners from serious concern, Schmidt said. The attacks undermine global infrastructure and endanger our way of life, he said, adding that this is a battle every IT security professional must fight from the foxholes.
What have you done today to improve security for your organization? Are you an agile defender or are you hunkered down behind your own cyber-Maginot line using the “hope” method as a security strategy?
Connect with me