CNN recently broadcast a cyber-attack simulation meant to demonstrate the potential cascading effects of a widespread attack on our nation’s infrastructure.  The exercise included former federal officials who played the role of key positions in the executive branch to show how the government would respond to the escalating incident.  They even had a flashy headline:

“Cyber Shockwave”

As much as I hoped that this would be a worthwhile simulation with good discussion, this really came across as propaganda wrapped in FUD.   It seemed like a sales pitch for more government control, especially with the catchphrase “We Warned You” included in the program.  We all should be concerned when government officials talk about “nationalizing Telco and Power”, “quarantine cell phones”, and “giving the option of unilateral disconnect”.

There is no doubt the threatscape is changing with the way we use technology.  Mobile devices certainly will see their share of malware.  Both public and private sector have lapses in their information security practices.  As we’ve seen with the latest attacks from China, there is a rise in targeted attacks.   That said, I have my doubts about a mobile botnet that wipes out cell phone communications, creates widespread power outages, and takes down Wall Street.

Cyber security is not a unilateral issue with government alone stepping in to save the day.  The private sector is particularly good at finding solutions to problems and they too have a dog in this fight.  Let’s bring the right players to the table to find a solution other than marshal law.

Bottom line:  Simulations are useful if they are appropriately scoped and are meaningful.  We could learn a lot from a good simulation that includes government and private sector participation.  In this case, CNN used the script from “Live Free or Die Hard” and wasted a lot of time and money.