Federal Commission: U.S. At Risk Of ‘Catastrophic’ Cyber Attack

The US is at risk of a “catastrophic cyber-attack” and the government needs to adopt sweeping structural changes to address cyber security challenges, according to a report from the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

The US Cyberspace Solarium Commission claimed in its report that the country faces multiple threats from cyber-criminals and nation states: IP theft that hinders long-term growth, critical infrastructure attacks, cybercrime and ransomware, espionage for geopolitical advantage and attacks designed to undermined democratic institutions.

“The digital connectivity that has brought economic growth, technological dominance, and an improved quality of life to nearly every American has also created a strategic dilemma. The more digital connections people make and data they exchange, the more opportunities adversaries have to destroy private lives, disrupt critical infrastructure, and damage our economic and democratic institutions.”

The United States now operates in a cyber landscape that requires a level of data security, resilience, and trustworthiness that neither the U.S. government nor the private sector alone is currently equipped to provide. Moreover, shortfalls in agility, technical expertise, and unity of effort, both within the U.S. government and between the public and private sectors, are growing.

To tackle these challenges, the commission advocated a “layered cyber-deterrence” approach designed to “shape behavior, deny benefits and impose costs.” The report listed six policy pillars and 75 recommendations to help the US get there.

Reference:

https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/CSC%20Final%20Report.pdf?mod=article_inline