Infosecurity

US unprepared for cyber war

By Jianggan Li | 22 December 2008

The United States has much to do if it wants to be ready for attacks against vital computer network systems, said government and industry leaders after participating in a two day “cyber war” simulation.

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The game, which involved about 230 representatives of government, defence and security agencies, private companies and civil groups, revealed “flaws in leadership, planning, communications and other issues”.

Mark Gerencser, Vice President of the Booz Alllen Hamilton Consulting Service said “There isn’t a response or a game plan; there isn’t really anybody in charge”. Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting Service was the company that was in-charge of running the simulation.

The “cyber war” game simulated a dramatic in-flood of computer attacks during a time of economic vulnerability, and participants are required to find ways to counter the attacks using real-life knowledge of tactics and procedures.

Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, addressed participants at the end of the simulation, by commenting that “cyber attacks will become a routine warfare tactic to degrade command systems before a traditional attack and that is in addition to threats posed by criminal or terrorist attackers”.

“Billions of dollars must be spent by both government and industry to improve security,” emphasised US Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, Democratic Chairman of the Intelligence Sub-Committee on Technical Intelligence.

Democratic US Rep. James Langevin of Rhode Island, Chairperson of the Homeland Security Sub-Committee on Cyber Security, added that “We’re way behind where we need to be right now, and dire consequences of a successful attack could include failure of banking or national electrical systems.

Recent attacks by Russian sympathisers on Estonia and Georgia were used as examples of cyber warfare by officials to highlight the consequences.