November 27, 2012
Yesterday’s Cyber Monday sales offer a reminder of how vulnerable both individuals and our nation’s key institutions are to online attacks. Heritage Foundation scholars have raised the issue before and offered suggestions.
Yet, even though Congress rejected a flawed top-down approach to cybersecurity this summer, the Obama administration took it upon itself to draft an executive order based on the same big-government philosophy.
Heritage expert Paul Rosenzweig explains that the federal government may not have the best approach:
Many government agencies are known to have flawed cybersecurity practices, yet despite the best efforts of those creating the standards for these agencies, these organizations often remain vulnerable. Instead of relying on a static, top-down government approach to cybersecurity, the U.S. should have a dynamic solution that leverages the strengths of both the government and the private sector.
To really get a sense of the ineffectiveness of government cybersecurty initiatives, click here to see a list of 13 dangerous incidents since May.
After reading the long list of serious threats, do you think the administration’s regulation-based solution will be successful?
michael devlin - November 27, 2012
Entrusting cyber security to the federal government will result in precisely the opposite of what is intended. The one size fits all mentality of centralized planning and thinking will lack the dynamics required to fend off our cyber enemies and further increase, not decrease our risk. In this case a combination of private and public approaches is best. But remember, for every lock, there is a key.