Issue: Spring 2017

From the Spring 2017 Issue

Tactical, Operational, and Strategic Cyber Attribution: What are they and what does future U.S. policy need to change.

Author(s):

Matthew C. Kurnava, MA Homeland Security/Cybersecurity,

The Growth of Cyber Attacks  Cyber-attacks are growing in frequency and sophistication. The numbers are staggering. The “AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report” noted a 62% increase in DDoS attacks and a 458% increase in malicious actors attempting to find Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerabilities.1 Dell reported an increase in malware attacks to 8.19 billion with a … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

WHAT’S THE WEATHER? Enhancing Cybersecurity with External Intelligence

Author(s):

Jeff Troy, Executive Director, Aviation ISAC

When I first learned to drive, the instructor explained the importance of using peripheral vision to look for danger while driving down the road. Similarly, my father taught me to check the gauges, make sure there was sufficient air in the tires and to have the brakes inspected. He made it clear that I needed … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

The Differences Between Data, Information, and Intelligence

Author(s):

A.J. Nash, Vice President of Intelligence, ZeroFOX

Perhaps the most difficult part of the transition from public to private sector for cyber professionals coming out of the US intelligence community (IC) is one of language. Conversations regularly take place in industry settings where the first challenge is ensuring that everyone is speaking the same language. In the IC there are a few … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

Army Turns to Aberdeen Proving Ground for Cyber Capabilities

Author(s):

Dan Lafontaine, Public Affairs Specialist, DSA Inc. Supporting U.S. Army Program Executive Office C3T

Paul D. Mehney, Director, Public Communications U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command

The boundaries between traditional cyber threats, such as the penetration of a network and theft of data, and more traditional electronic warfare threats, such as the employment of improvised explosive devices that use the electromagnetic spectrum, have been blurred. This convergence presents challenges and opportunities for tactical assets and networks. For the Army, this new … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

CompTIA Trade Association Promotes Symbiotic Benefits For The IT Ecosystem

Author(s):

George Berkheimer, Staff Reporter, United States Cybersecurity Magazine

When five New York City area microcomputer dealers joined forces in 1982 to form the Association of Better Computer Dealers (ABCD), their idea was to find better ways to do business in the early days of the personal computer. ABCD began modestly, with a membership directory and vendor chats. In 1990, it changed its name, … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

EDUCATE or TRAIN for CYBERSECURITY?

Author(s):

Dr. Jane A. LeClair, President, Washington Center for Cybersecurity Research & Development

Those with a vested interest in cybersecurity have long recognized the vulnerabilities that are inherent to our digital systems, demonstrated by countless breaches over the years. From big box stores to government agencies, celebrities to the nation’s critical infrastructure, no system has been safe. With so much at stake, we must, as a nation, protect … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

10 Steps to Risk Management: Compliance and Risk Mitigation in a Sea of Data Security Risk

Author(s):

Keith Moulsdale, Co-Chair, Cybersecurity, Data Management & Privacy Group, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP

If you’re drowning in a sea of fast-changing, complex information about data security, you are in good company. It seems that every day new and modified threat methods and vectors appear; another vendor knocks on your door pitching a product or solution as the latest digital security panacea; a customer or vendor (or both) tries … Read more

From the Spring 2017 Issue

It’s Not the Breach, It’s the Data: A Case for Deterrence by Denial

Author(s):

Adam Firestone, Editor-in-Chief , United States Cybersecurity Magazine

In his 1935 book, War is a Racket1, retired Marine Corps Major General (and two-time Medal of Honor recipient) Smedley Butler2 discussed the financial incentives and commercial benefits that lead nations to engage in armed conflict. Modern day motivations are no different. Verizon reported that, in 2016, “89% of breaches had a financial or espionage … Read more