Comments on: Cybersecurity stimulus: $355 million http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/ on Internet security by Byron Acohido Sat, 19 May 2012 12:59:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Pilar Robinette http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/#comment-11223 Pilar Robinette Tue, 08 May 2012 08:34:18 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=630#comment-11223 they would know which systems meet the mark and which fall short. These capabilities mean that a shift to the NSA could be much more than a bureaucratic reshuffling of the deck chairs.” http://www.elleslettegaard.dk/ they would know which systems meet the mark and which fall short. These capabilities mean that a shift to the NSA could be much more than a bureaucratic reshuffling of the deck chairs.”

http://www.elleslettegaard.dk/

]]> By: Lisa Spencer – www.twitter.com/lisaatcloakware * http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/#comment-168 Lisa Spencer – www.twitter.com/lisaatcloakware * Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:03:08 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=630#comment-168 Byron, that would be some powerful, scary data for sure. Maybe we’ll see some figures from Melissa after she does her review. Byron, that would be some powerful, scary data for sure. Maybe we’ll see some figures from Melissa after she does her review.

]]> By: Byron Acohido http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/#comment-162 Byron Acohido Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:40:46 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=630#comment-162 Greater visibility is needed to cut through the overwhelming, dull roar of the attacks that are going on. I follow cyber security for a living and have to work hard to connect the dots and keep up. I would like to see an overview of what was lost in 2006 -2007 when an outside party or parties successfully breached govt and military systems in North America and Europe. How does that surge connect to the earlier Titan Rain breaches, and to what's going on today? I think that kind of detail would get people's attention. Greater visibility is needed to cut through the overwhelming, dull roar of the attacks that are going on. I follow cyber security for a living and have to work hard to connect the dots and keep up. I would like to see an overview of what was lost in 2006 -2007 when an outside party or parties successfully breached govt and military systems in North America and Europe. How does that surge connect to the earlier Titan Rain breaches, and to what’s going on today? I think that kind of detail would get people’s attention.

]]> By: Lisa Spencer – www.twitter.com/lisaatcloakware * http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/#comment-161 Lisa Spencer – www.twitter.com/lisaatcloakware * Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:15:47 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=630#comment-161 Byron, you’re right in that this is a good sign from the current administration that the cyber security threat is being taken seriously! As you know, we have only to look to the recent stories of the thwarted Fannie Mae Breach, attacks on Monster.com and many other government agencies and companies to realize that this is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. With employee churn, this ‘insider threat’ is very real and steps and guidelines need to be established to help organizations secure their most sensitive data. We work with many Forbes Global 2000 companies and government agencies around the world, and we keep hearing the same thing – they’ve got a problem, but are unsure how to solve it. We’re wishing Melissa the best of luck on this one; with the global economy as it is, and organizations having so much to lose, we need a strategy and direction to protect our cyber borders. Byron, you’re right in that this is a good sign from the current administration that the cyber security threat is being taken seriously! As you know, we have only to look to the recent stories of the thwarted Fannie Mae Breach, attacks on Monster.com and many other government agencies and companies to realize that this is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. With employee churn, this ‘insider threat’ is very real and steps and guidelines need to be established to help organizations secure their most sensitive data.

We work with many Forbes Global 2000 companies and government agencies around the world, and we keep hearing the same thing – they’ve got a problem, but are unsure how to solve it. We’re wishing Melissa the best of luck on this one; with the global economy as it is, and organizations having so much to lose, we need a strategy and direction to protect our cyber borders.

]]> By: Bill Fallon http://lastwatchdog.com/cybersecurity-stimulus-355-million/#comment-160 Bill Fallon Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:42:52 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=630#comment-160 The $355 million for 2010 reminded me of the scene in the movie Charlie Wilson's War where the CIA agent played by Philip Seymour Hoffman tells Congressman Charlie Wilson, played by Tom Hanks that doubling the budget from $5-10 million was "nothing" to go fight the Soviet military with. Don't get me wrong, I applaud the administration's efforts to bring more focus and attention to this area, and they seem to have accomplished quite a lot in their first 60 days. Maybe it's that hundreds of millions in government spending doesn't seem all that much these days given the tens of billions going to financial services and auto company bailouts. $355 million doesn't seem to me to match the potential impact of the threat (e.g., on the level of a biological terrorist attack)used in speeches by various government officials. A read of the section of the "Threat Assessment" gives you the impression that the government views the threat as significant and real. A concerted national effort to adequately secure every endpoint connected to the Internet (not just perimeter security of government infrastructure) would certainly cost more than $355 million. Frankly, I don't see states devoting any of their share of the $800 billion stimulus to cyber-security; it's just not going to rank up there with road and bridge repair, extending unemployment benefits and the like. So, this appropriation, at least for 2010 looks to me like what we'll get started with to boost our defenses. Any increase is better than none, and we've got all of this other money going to lots of other needy programs like keeping banks and auto companies afloat. Being in the Internet security industry affords me somewhat more visibility as to what the scope and nature of the threats are, and what it's going to take just to go from "falling behind" to a state of "keeping up," much less "get ahead of" the bad guys. Perhaps the best part of all is that various parts of the government are now coming out and stating "Hey, this is really serious and we have to do something about it." The $355 million for 2010 reminded me of the scene in the movie Charlie Wilson’s War where the CIA agent played by Philip Seymour Hoffman tells Congressman Charlie Wilson, played by Tom Hanks that doubling the budget from $5-10 million was “nothing” to go fight the Soviet military with.

Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the administration’s efforts to bring more focus and attention to this area, and they seem to have accomplished quite a lot in their first 60 days.

Maybe it’s that hundreds of millions in government spending doesn’t seem all that much these days given the tens of billions going to financial services and auto company bailouts.

$355 million doesn’t seem to me to match the potential impact of the threat (e.g., on the level of a biological terrorist attack)used in speeches by various government officials. A read of the section of the “Threat Assessment” gives you the impression that the government views the threat as significant and real.

A concerted national effort to adequately secure every endpoint connected to the Internet (not just perimeter security of government infrastructure) would certainly cost more than $355 million.

Frankly, I don’t see states devoting any of their share of the $800 billion stimulus to cyber-security; it’s just not going to rank up there with road and bridge repair, extending unemployment benefits and the like.

So, this appropriation, at least for 2010 looks to me like what we’ll get started with to boost our defenses. Any increase is better than none, and we’ve got all of this other money going to lots of other needy programs like keeping banks and auto companies afloat.

Being in the Internet security industry affords me somewhat more visibility as to what the scope and nature of the threats are, and what it’s going to take just to go from “falling behind” to a state of “keeping up,” much less “get ahead of” the bad guys.

Perhaps the best part of all is that various parts of the government are now coming out and stating “Hey, this is really serious and we have to do something about it.”

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