http://www.dhs.gov/topic/cybersecurity

This source, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, briefly encompasses the general issue of cyber security, and how the U.S. is responding. It stresses the understanding that cyber security has economic, social and political effects, which aid to contextualize the issue.

“Our daily life, economic vitality, and national security depend on a stable, safe, and resilient cyberspace. We rely on this vast array of networks to communicate and travel, power our homes, run our economy, and provide government services.

Yet cyber intrusions and attacks have increased dramatically over the last decade, exposing sensitive personal and business information, disrupting critical operations, and imposing high costs on the economy.”

“Cybersecurity concerns for China, U.S.”

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/03/20/exp-ns-china-us-cyber-johnson.cnn.html

This video, by CNN, explores the tense U.S. – China relationship due to increased attention associated with cyber espionage. This indicates the immensity of the issue in the geopolitical and international sphere.

 “Chinese cyberwar and the US ‘myth of scheming’”

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/2013356858895780.html

This article, on Al Jazeera, alludes to the challenges of finding the source of cyber attacks, and government involvement in finding the responsible party. This sheds light onto the biggest issues of cyber attacks, the lack of control, and the uncertainty of the origin.

“Last week, after the Washington Post reported that numerous Washington institutions in and outside government have experienced hacking attributed to China, the Post‘s excellent political writer Ezra Klein had this unfortunate foray into commentary on Chinese elite politics:

The Chinese look at Washington, and they think there must be some document somewhere, some flowchart saved on a computer in the basement of some think-tank, that lays it all out. Because in China, there would be. In China, someone would be in charge. There would be a plan somewhere. It would probably last for many years. It would be at least partially followed. But that’s not how it works in Washington.

Coming at these events from a Washington perspective has led to some conceptual and factual assumptions that are emblematic of wider misperceptions of the US relationship with China.”

“Masters of the cyber-universe”

http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21574636-chinas-state-sponsored-hackers-are-ubiquitousand-totally-unabashed-masters

This article, by The Economist, establishes the existence of China’s hackers, and the scale of cyber security attacks. This source delineates the issue of cyber warfare, and its progression, emphasizing the danger of cyber attacks.

“CHINA’S SOPHISTICATED HACKERS may be the terror of the Earth, but in fact most of their attacks are rather workaday. America and Russia have hackers at least as good as China’s best, if not better. What distinguishes Chinese cyber-attacks, on anything from governments to Fortune 500 companies, defence contractors, newspapers, think-tanks, NGOs, Chinese human-rights groups and dissidents, is their frequency, ubiquity and sheer brazenness. This leads to an unnerving conclusion.”

 “U.S. and China Put Focus on Cybersecurity”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/world/asia/united-states-and-china-hold-military-talks-with-cybersecurity-a-focus.html?_r=0

This article, by The New York Times, outlines the threat and danger of cyber attacks, and links the U.S.’s and China’s relationship to the success of solving the cyber warfare problems. A great background to the issue is given, demonstrating the small complexities of cyber security.

“BEIJING — The United States and China held their highest-level military talks in nearly two years on Monday, with a senior Chinese general pledging to work with the United States on cybersecurity because the consequences of a major cyberattack “may be as serious as a nuclear bomb.”

Cybersecurity has become a sudden source of tension between the two countries. China has bristled over the growing body of evidence that its military has been involved in cyberattacks on American corporations and some government agencies. Last month, the Obama administration demanded that the Chinese government stop the theft of data from American computer networks and help create global standards for cybersecurity.”

“Green light for new regulation for EU Cyber Security Agency ENISA given by the European Parliament”

http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/green-light-for-new-regulation-for-eu-cyber-security-agency-enisa-given-by-the-european-parliament

This press release, by the European Network and Information Security Agency, outlines the European Union’s new developments on its cyber security proposal. This source demonstrates the global dimension of cyber security, and how governments are using policies to try and handle the issue.

“Today, 16, April, the European Parliament voted in plenary in Strasbourg, on the new regulation proposal for strengthening ENISA, the EU’s “cyber security” Agency (formally the European Network and Information Security Agency).

The regulation proposal was adopted as tabled, without any additional amendments, with an overwhelming majority of the Members of Parliament, MEPs, with 626 votes in favour out of the 687 votes given in total, for a reinforced Agency.”

“To the barricades”

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21571868-how-america-and-europe-are-trying-bolster-their-cyber-defences-barricades

This article, by The Economist, displays the actions by both the European and U.S. government in addressing the threat of cyber attacks, especially those on government infrastructure. One component of this issue is also the lack of cyber security specialists, hinting towards the social effects of cyber security.

“WITHIN a week of each other, both the European Commission and the White House have set out a series of new rules designed to stem the rising tide of cyber-attacks against public and private victims. The most dangerous of these are aimed at what is termed critical national infrastructure. The targets may be physical (such as electricity grids) or virtual, such as the computer networks used by the financial system.”

“Cyber security: See Who’s On This Latest Hacker Hit List”

http://moneymorning.com/2013/05/07/cybersecurity-see-whos-on-this-latest-hacker-hit-list/

This article, by Money Morning, describes the threat of Middle Eastern and North African criminal hackers, and a “hit list” of websites in danger, such as government sites and banks. This displays the risk of cyber security, and seems to show a divide in the way the world reacts to cyber attacks.

“A group of mostly Middle East and North Africa based criminal hackers launched a cyber-attack campaign Tuesday that tested the cybersecurity of U.S. government agencies, financial institutions and commercial businesses.

Dubbed OpUSA, the effort is the latest in a string of cyber-attacks on crucial U.S. entities aimed at slowing down or blocking these heavily trafficked sites.”

“Threats and Opportunities Growing in Cyber security”

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2013/June/Pages/ThreatsandOpportunitiesGrowinginCybersecurity.aspx

This article by the National Defense Magazine describes the need for continuous cyber monitoring to reduce the threat, as well as the existence of “botnets,” computers whose control is in the hands of a third-party (unknown) source. This is important to understand the ways in which hacking is executed, as well as to establish the lexicon of cyber security.

“The federal government will spend about $10 billion on cybersecurity in fiscal year 2013. That number could grow to $13 billion in fiscal year 2014.  For most federal agencies, cybersecurity is one hot-button issue that will not soon disappear. Determining what to defend against will play a large role in how much money the government must allocate toward cybersecurity.”

“The digital arms trade”

http://www.economist.com/news/business/21574478-market-software-helps-hackers-penetrate-computer-systems-digital-arms-trade

This article, by The Economist, outlines the rise of a market for software aimed at aiding hackers, in the form of “exploits,” knowledge transformed into computer code. This raises questions on the risk of these information packets, and the future of cyber security.

“IT IS a type of software sometimes described as “absolute power” or “God”. Small wonder its sales are growing. Packets of computer code, known as “exploits”, allow hackers to infiltrate or even control computers running software in which a design flaw, called a “vulnerability”, has been discovered. Criminal and, to a lesser extent, terror groups purchase exploits on more than two dozen illicit online forums or through at least a dozen clandestine brokers, says Venkatramana Subrahmanian, a University of Maryland expert in these black markets. He likens the transactions to “selling a gun to a criminal”.”

 “After Hackers Pwn Twitter, New York State Beefs Up Its Cyber Security”

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/05/ny_hack_attack.php

This blog, on “The Village Voice,” outlines the vulnerability of U.S. networks, and the cyber infiltration in areas varying from Twitter to the Associated Press to utilities in Illinois. There is a focus on foreign involvement in the issue, exploring the role of hackers in Syria, Iran, and Russia.

“In the 21st century, almost all of our daily activities are linked to the internet – from banking to shopping to using our telecommunications networks and physical infrastructure systems,” Governor Cuomo said, announcing the creation of an all-star New York cyber security advisory board last week. “Just as we protect against crime on our streets, we must also work to defend New Yorkers from cyber threats, ranging from identity theft to consumer fraud to threats to our physical infrastructure.”

Keep up to date with the latest on cyber-security, curated by the DISCon Secretariat and Chairs. Articles of interest will be posted with their image, their source link, and the first two-three paragraphs. As time gets closer to DISCon, the chairs of the different committees will  start a weekly review of cyber-security, offering their analysis and understanding how it could impact their committee’s strategic objectives.