Cyber Security - Combating a Dynamic, Asymmetric & Sophisticated Threat

"The front line for the defense of anything you hold dear in cyber space — a dimension into which we have transferred many economic, political, and social assets — runs through private property," explained Booz Allen Hamilton Vice President Richard Wilhelm. "The severity and pervasiveness of these threats require everyone — from the home user to large business enterprises to the U.S. government — to help protect cyberspace."

Wilhelm, who gave the keynote address at the October 27, 2003, Silicon Valley Cyber Security Summit held in San Jose, California, outlined several key issues that must be resolved in order to move into the next phase of the cyber security debate, including the continued development of public-private partnerships. "In an era of fiscal constraint, government and industry increasingly need to pool talent and resources, and arrive at a shared view of the threat, and an agenda for action to combat common enemies to their security interests," he said.

Wilhelm stressed that a credible business case for cyber security must be developed that answers such vital risk management questions as: Am I spending enough on security? How much is enough? or How does my spending compare to that of my peers? In addition, organizations must recognize that security is an enabler as opposed to an imposition on an organization.

Information sharing must be moved to the next level in order to protect both public and private interests — including determining, through broad consensus, what types of information should be shared and why. "Efforts to date primarily have focused on the 'means' for sharing, such as building trusted submission systems and legislating new legal protections," he said.

Lastly, a broader concept of cyber community must be embraced. "A mere decade ago, this community consisted largely of researchers in industry, government, and academia," Wilhelm said. "Today few, if any, aspects of our society are not touched by the power of the Internet, and future solutions must incorporate the views of all stakeholders."

About Richard Wilhelm

Wilhelm is a former Executive Director for Intelligence Community Affairs and a White House advisor to former Vice President Al Gore on national security issues. His work at Booz Allen focuses on homeland security, information assurance, and infrastructure protection for federal government and commercial clients.

story posted November 21, 2003