“Cyberspace is war, but there’s peace at the edge.” Those words came from General James Cartagener, USA military during World War II. Cybersecurity experts can perform very sensitive computer-related activities like vulnerability assessment, code exploration, and security testing, but normally they don’t need a security clearance to perform that kind of work. They normally work for government agencies, which hire them for specific jobs. However, in a highly volatile situation where cyberwar breaks out, military and other federal employees will be called upon to help safeguard our nation’s cyberspace systems. If you’re interested in either being a consultant or a military personnel working in the cybersecurity field, here are some useful questions to ask before considering a career in this exciting new line of work:
What are the different types of threats to our nation’s cyberspace systems? The main national security concerns in cyberspace right now are international terrorism, nation-state sponsored attacks, hacking, and malware. In other words, everything that could become a cyber attack can already have been done if it was not for cyberspace. National security professionals working in the area of cyberdefense are charged with defending our country from external threats, but what exactly are those external threats to our cyber system?
What is the latest state of the nation-sponsored and international terrorist attacks against the United Kingdom? Most recently, the April 3rd coordinated attack on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with online outlet Google Maps resulted in the hacking of a huge cache of confidential documents. Just two days prior, an Istanbul courthouse was hacked resulting in the disclosure of sensitive information relating to the handling of private data by Turkey’s authorities. These are just two of the many high-profile cyber threats faced by the United Kingdom’s cyberspace defenses.
What are some of the latest developments in the information security field to protect corporate interests in the United Kingdom? Well, there has been a lot of news released in regard to Amazon’s acquisition of a huge number of cloud computing properties from the United Kingdom’s biggest database provider, EBay. Amazon will be positioning itself as a leader in the “e-commerce” space in the UK, meaning it will be aggressively pursuing information security as its primary goal. In the past, Amazon has run into issues trying to comply with UK privacy laws regarding the handling of customer information by its e-commerce businesses such as its acquisition of Zuul, which was eventually sold to the business development outfit, Calista.
A large number of businesses are regularly targeted by cyber-attruses, mostly because they do not make security measures a top priority. Businesses such as the United Kingdom’s largest insurance company, AIG, is not adequately protecting its network from online attacks and is continually being exploited by malicious activity. While many companies in the United Kingdom have a staff that is knowledgeable about the prevention of such attacks, many others are operating in blind. This is a direct result of the lack of understanding of current and future threats to the confidentiality of your company and your employees.
To understand the importance of cyberspace awareness and the importance of proper accountability, it is important to understand how and why businesses must take measures to protect themselves against these attacks. Cyber-attacks are a direct result of poorly prepared or weakly maintained information assets. For instance, if you have a website that is filled with badly optimized content or poorly coded JavaScript code, it is very likely that a hacker could use this information to conduct a successful attack on your site. It is imperative that your business has an information asset management strategy that is designed to detect, prevent, and mitigate a wide range of risks associated with such attacks.
What is the biggest challenge for businesses that are faced with the threat of cyber-security? In a world where cyber-security threats are increasing at a rapid pace, businesses need to ask themselves whether their business needs to be considered a high-risk profile. There is no point in investing in preventive measures if you do not believe that they will actually save you from the threats posed by cyber-spywares and hackers. A recent study suggests that nearly half of the 500 largest companies around the globe face a form of cyber-security risk. Additionally, more than half of the largest corporations in the United States have been hacked on at least one occasion. This makes the issue of cyber-security and its threats very real to businesses today.
In light of this growing problem, a recent White House report said that the United States should work to increase its cyber activity, as well as its active defense against the cyber threats faced by the nation. The report also recommends that businesses should work with federal agencies to strengthen their cyber defenses and work to share cyber information more easily. This information sharing has already been shown to reduce the number of malicious attacks, but the creation of a coordinated defense posture may also provide a significant boost in the fight against cyber criminals and other attacks. Only then, the United States can truly call itself a cyber champion.