Advanced Persistent Threat

In the early days of the Internet, it was a place for free communication where academics and the general populace could share ideas and information for the good of society, and not care about anyone stealing their intellectual capital. That was then, this is now! Over the years, as the Internet matured, it has evolved into a place where public and private sectors conducted business because of its speed and interconnected nature.  It has also become the place where people, businesses and governments store sensitive information that is vulnerable to sophisticated adversaries. Read more

We know that APTs don’t discriminate – they attack the U.S. government, private sector, and people like you and me. While APTs have become complex, they are designed to cause harm without taking networks down, technically speaking. Hackers look for the easiest path into networks to minimize their own risk. In many cases, hackers find that it’s easier to exploit known vulnerabilities to achieve their nefarious objectives, but they are also known to introduce new attacks, like zero-days, to keep their victims unaware of their depth of access. Read more

Many tough decisions must be made to combat APTs. The U.S. and international community need to change existing laws and rules of engagement, as well as how they address cyber threats from nation states and criminals, while respecting the privacy of the individual user. Ultimately, society must decide what the Internet should be. Should it remain the ‘wild, wild Webb?’ If that’s what society wants, then the Internet – as it is right now – is fine, and we will continue to experience APT problems without a way to marginalize their success. Read more