US and other free societies are more vulnerable to cyber attacks

[WillJ8787]

Source:
https://www.wral.com/white-house-gr...abilities-are-laid-bare/19711315/?version=amp

Given that we are dealing with attacks against large private business that contribute significantly to the overall gross domestic product, and our gov't limited role in what happens in these organizations...we will remain at high risk for economic disruptions.

This is the consequence, to some extent, of living in a free decentralized and democratic society which limits the role that govt plays in our lives.

Interestingly, centralized Govt's can deal with outside cyberhacks way more efficiently because they don't have the same legal hurdles...they can just step in a decide a course of action.

Should big Govt, especially the executive branch, have added power here? Especially, since they are tasked specifically with protecting us from outside bad actors?

 

[CornusKousa]

The gov should have a robust cyber defense program/system.

National security and for sure the 'peace and tranquility' of our society is clearly being threatened by these attacks.

 

[WillJ8787]

What do you do when these businesses refuse the "help" from Govt?

They are refusing the help to some extent.

 

[CornusKousa]

What do you do when these businesses refuse the "help" from Govt?

With the exception of critical infrastructure such as the power grid for example...

Let them pay for their own security, or let cyber thugs fuck them in the ass for every penny they've got.

They are refusing the help to some extent.

Again, with the exception of critical infrastructure, national security etc.

Whatever....IDC anymore than the local gas station that doesn't invest in physical security.

As with many things I think we maybe should or wouldn't mind the government offering a public option. But we shouldn't force anything upon anyone, this isn't Soviet States of America.

Cyber industry requires cyber security, just like physical industry requires physical security.

Those that do or do not make that investment in securing their shit?? Suffer the consequences of their choices.

 

[pecksniff]

Are we talking about cyber attacks as a form of profit-driven crime, or is some geopolitical strategic objective involved?

 

[Rightguide]

Source:
https://www.wral.com/white-house-gr...abilities-are-laid-bare/19711315/?version=amp

Given that we are dealing with attacks against large private business that contribute significantly to the overall gross domestic product, and our gov't limited role in what happens in these organizations...we will remain at high risk for economic disruptions.

Because those foreign actors are not held to account. there is no policy of proportional reciprocity to punish the foreign governments they operate under.

 

[pecksniff]

Because those foreign actors are not held to account. there is no policy of proportional reciprocity to punish the foreign governments they operate under.

That would be a diplomatic problem, then, something that could be addressed by establishing treaties and international enforcement agencies.

 

[2021Noobie]

That would be a diplomatic problem, then, something that could be addressed by establishing treaties and international enforcement agencies.

God forbid we punish Trump’s boss
His fingerprints are on everything
Cut Off his use of money outside Russia

 

[WillJ8787]

With the exception of critical infrastructure such as the power grid for example...

Let them pay for their own security, or let cyber thugs fuck them in the ass for every penny they've got.



Again, with the exception of critical infrastructure, national security etc.

Whatever....IDC anymore than the local gas station that doesn't invest in physical security.

As with many things I think we maybe should or wouldn't mind the government offering a public option. But we shouldn't force anything upon anyone, this isn't Soviet States of America.

Cyber industry requires cyber security, just like physical industry requires physical security.

Those that do or do not make that investment in securing their shit?? Suffer the consequences of their choices.

Under your logic....you and maybe millions of folks could be "forced" by foreign bad actors into crisis after crisis...your ok with that?

 

[WillJ8787]

Because those foreign actors are not held to account. there is no policy of proportional reciprocity to punish the foreign governments they operate under.

Should the proportional response be a cyber arms race?

 

[pecksniff]

Should the proportional response be a cyber arms race?

If that is possible, it is happening already.

 

[LupusDei]

Are we talking about cyber attacks as a form of profit-driven crime, or is some geopolitical strategic objective involved?

Under your logic....you and maybe millions of folks could be "forced" by foreign bad actors into crisis after crisis...your ok with that?

Should the proportional response be a cyber arms race?

If that is possible, it is happening already.

The for-profit cybercrime might be seen as extremely expensive and unwanted stress testing, but valuable in possibly preventing even worse outcomes in case of actual acts of cyber warfare.

And while it hard to fully deny a geopolitical dimension of the recent surge of high visibility attacks, it could be much worse. Dedicated state level attackers wouldn't announce themselves until a moment massive disruption of multiple services simultaneously can have maximum synergy with other events or so called "facts on the ground" (that may or not be supported by soldier boots). We may only assume work in support of such operations has been relentlessly done for decades. Opportunistic for-profit cybercriminals may accidentally destroy or expose such preparations.

Then, a country unsure of their ability or honest in assessment proper opportunity/necessity to carry out full scale operations may never be realistic, may decide to inflict as much opportunistic damage they can while maintaining deniability (even if increasingly less than plausible) under guise of for-profit cyber crime.

Then, of course there's the fact that breaches of cyber security are inevitable. Really, it's just another type of static defense, and all static defenses are inevitably obliterated eventually. Well, in some cases it may require near infinite resources of the attacker, but cyber security aren't of those. Cyber security perimeter is huge and fuzzy and any point breach may be potentially devastating. It's also very hard to justify spending on preparation, prevention and mitigation of something equally inevitable and incomprehensible for many of the MBA's in control. And god forbid causing inconvenience for them, or even just regular users, best laid security would be defeated in a heartbeat.

There's always the secretary who has to see her friend's cat videos, or accountant who wants to watch super bowl livestream for free. All kinds of inciting links that get clicked, PrettyKittensApp and/or "special video codecs" get installed without second thought. It must be realized that can't be prevented, without removal of humans out of the equation completely. Zero trust environments are hard to set up, and expensive, and will still fail anyway, inevitably. All that's possible is to be ready for as quick and painless recovery as reasonably possible.