Cyber-Strikes on Georgia a Wake-Up Call for Congress, Expert Says

Cyberattacks in the already war-torn Easter European country of Georgia are just another reminder that Washington needs to get serious about its cyber-defense strategy, says one industry expert.

In an opinion piece on The Heritage Foundation website, James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. says cyber-intrusions “have been extremely serious, compromising security and costing millions of dollars. Penetration of computer networks at the National Defense University proved so pervasive that the university was forced to take the entire computer network offline and install new information system defenses.”

And there is no one force behind these attacks, Carafano adds. They can come from states, criminal networks, “hacktivists” (online political activists), and other malicious actors.

“The lesson for the United States is to take the challenge of cyber threats seriously,” Carafano says. “The initiatives that will likely best serve the United States and its international partners in the cyber conflicts of the 21st century are those derived from private sector experience, emerging military and intelligence capabilities for conducting information warfare, and law enforcement measures for combating cybercrime.”

In the article Carafano calls on the government to find what he calls “cyber-strategic leaders” that know how to apply best practices, use risk-based approaches, and foster a sense of teamwork with all interested parties.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/wm2022.cfm.