More cyber attacks launch from within the United States than anywhere else according to the latest threat report from McAfee, but the implications of the statistics are less obvious than they appear. Cybercriminals from other nations are routing their aggression through vulnerable U.S. Internet protocol (IP) addresses because outdated domains make easy targets. So while the country might not be the biggest breeding ground for hackers, its infrastructure has troubling weaknesses.
Websites that have gone without updates for the past five to six years are easy targets for malicious actors who exploit the outdated security and coding. "Our infrastructure has shown a lot of signs of weakness and age to be exploited," Adam Wosotowsky, messaging data architect at McAfee, explains. Part of the problem lies in the fact that the United States is an Internet pioneer. People from other countries often host their sites through U.S. infrastructure because it can withstand threats such as denial-of-service attacks. In addition, since no other country has more advanced Internet experience, the United States has to initiate solutions.
Older domains also are a commodity to hackers, because officials have a harder time blocking them. When a site is known to be malicious, measures can be taken to refuse content from it. But when an address historically has been trusted, blocking content becomes more complex.
The U.S. Army is making good on the mantra "train as you fight" by connecting units in garrison with the same mission command systems they use during deployments. Breaking through the bureaucracy inherent in putting these tactical technologies on a strategic network means that soldiers will be better prepared for their work in theater.
The cyberthreat to the natural gas infrastructure is just a brushstroke in a bigger picture of an ongoing and evolving cybersecurity threat to the government and the nation, according to Greg Wilshusen, director of information security issues with the Government Accountability Office.
AFCEA International and the Naval Intelligence Professionals (NIP) are sponsoring a national intelligence writing contest that offers a top prize of $3,000 and a three-year membership in both organizations.
One expert believes that responding to requests for information (RFIs) is actually one of the best ways companies can influence government acquisition.
The U.S. Defense Department's Joint Information Enterprise (JIE), launched by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operational Deputies, will be built on "five big rocks," according to the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., USN, told the audience at the AFCEA NOVA Naval IT Day on May 3 that big rocks must serve as the foundation so that little rocks can be implemented atop them.
The future of coalition operations may be unfolding within a NATO command in Afghanistan. The Eurocorps, a multinational corps that is barely two decades old, is focusing on building a capability that will allow a coalition force to respond rapidly to urgent operational needs.
The command, control, communications and computers (C4) technology community has undergone a great deal of change over the past couple of years. The U.S. Cyber Command and the military services’ cyber component commands were created, the Joint Forces Command was disbanded, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (ASD NII) transformed to become the Office of the Defense Chief Information Officer (CIO), the J-6 (C4) on the Joint Staff was eliminated, and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has changed significantly. All of these modifications have resulted in adjustments to priorities, shifts of mission and more focus on the enterprise.
The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending.
