[1]Cyber security: We need a better plan to deter hacker attacks says

[1]Cyber security: We need a better plan to deter hacker attacks says
US:

The US needs to fundamentally rethink its strategies for [2]stopping
cyber attacks and should develop a tailored approach to deterring
each of its key adversaries, according to a new government report.

The [3]report published by the US State Department - like a recent
[4]paper on botnets - comes in response to an executive order signed
by President Donald Trump last year, which called for a report "on
the nation's strategic options for deterring adversaries and better
protecting the American people from cyber threats."

The report said that while the US has become dependent upon
sophisticated networked information systems, its rivals have been
learning to exploit that dependence to "steal from Americans,
disrupt their lives, and create insecurity domestically and
instability internationally."

The cyber threat posed by rival states - and by Russia, China, Iran
and North Korea in particular - is often alluded to by intelligence
agencies, but the US and its allies have struggled to find a way to
deter these cyber intrusions.

The unclassified cyber-deterrence overview published by the State
Department doesn't mention particular countries, but said that
strategies for deterring malicious cyber activities "require a
fundamental rethinking". The report said that the US has made
efforts to promote a framework for "responsible state behaviour in
cyberspace", but noted that this has not stopped state-sponsored
cyber incidents.

"The United States and its likeminded partners must be able to deter
destabilizing state conduct in cyberspace," the State Department
warned.

Of course, the US has plenty of military muscle should it come to
[5]full-on cyberwarfare, but it's much harder to tackle cyber
attacks that don't necessarily deserve an armed response - which
make up the majority of attacks.

The report said the US should develop a broader menu of consequences
that it can impose following a significant cyber incident. The US
should also take steps to make it easier to prove who is behind
cyber attacks, it said.

Another big problem is the poor state of cyber security. "Efforts to
deter state and non-state actors alike are also hindered by the fact
that, despite significant public and private investments in
cybersecurity, finding and exploiting cyber vulnerabilities remains
relatively easy," the report said.

"Credibly demonstrating that the United States is capable of
imposing significant costs on those who carry out such activities is
indispensable to maintaining and strengthening deterrence," the
report added.

According to the State Department, the three key elements of cyber
deterrence should include:
* Creating a policy for when the United States will impose
consequences: The policy should provide criteria for the types of
malicious cyber activities that the US government will seek to
deter. The outlines of this policy must be communicated publicly
and privately in order for it to have a deterrent effect.
* Developing a range of consequences: There should be "swift, costly,
and transparent consequences" that the US can impose in response to
attacks below the threshold of the use of force.
* Building partnerships: Other states should work in partnership with
the US through intelligence sharing or supporting claims of
attribution.

(Via [6]Latest Topic for ZDNet in security)

Curious what your take is on this, Dear Friends.

I'm not sure how the State Department, the U.S. government's diplomats,
think that this kind of response is workable diplomatically. Maybe it
is in the report, which I have yet to read. But who needs context to
respond?
__________________________________________________________________

My original entry is here: [7]Cyber security: We need a better plan to
deter hacker attacks says US. It posted Tue, 05 Jun 2018 14:55:26
+0000.
Filed under: business,

References

1. https://www.zdnet.com/article/cyber-security-we-need-a-better-plan-to-deter-hacker-attacks-says-us/#ftag=RSSbaffb68
2. https://www.zdnet.com/article/cyberwar-a-guide-to-the-frightening-future-of-online-conflict/
3. https://www.state.gov/s/cyberissues/eo13800/282011.htm
4. https://www.zdnet.com/article/internet-security-slaying-the-botnet-beast-and-the-ddos-dragon/
5. https://www.zdnet.com/article/cyberwar-a-guide-to-the-frightening-future-of-online-conflict/
6. http://www.zdnet.com/topic-security/rss.xml
7. https://www.prjorgensen.com/?p=1192