Financial Sector Likely Number One Cyber Target

The first shot in a war may be a cyber attack on the U.S. financial sector. By crippling the economic abilities of the nation, an enemy could wreak more long-term havoc on the United States than by hitting an element of the critical infrastructure alone.

That was the assessment of Terry Halvorsen, chief information officer (CIO) of the Department of the Navy. Halvorsen offered this view in panel on balancing cost with risk in the cyber realm, which was held Wednesday at AFCEA/USNI West 2013 in San Diego.

Fellow panelist Rear Adm. Robert E. Day Jr., USCG, assistant commandant for C4IT and director, U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command, noted that when the critical infrastructure is attacked, it will be a problem for the U.S. military. The panelists agreed that cybersecurity in all vital realms must be addressed to ensure national security.

And, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for cybersecurity, even within the military. Halvorsen told industry to bring options to the table, including those for tiered security.