Agency cybersecurity deficiencies remain as attacks reach all-time high, Obama’s Cyberwarfare Strategy Will Backfire and more

By Ryan Kamauff

Here are the top cyber news and stories of the day.

• Napolitano: Cybersecurity executive order only part of the solution – “President Obama’s Feb. 12 executive order falls short of a complete cybersecurity plan and should be seen as a first step in addressing cybersecurity issues, said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano March 7.” It is important that Secretary Napolitano and the President need to be on the same page when it comes to cybersecurity. As DHS is responsible for the security of a large degree of the USG networks, it is important that their leadership feel legislation supports their efforts. Via FierceGovernmentIT, more here.
• Agency cybersecurity deficiencies remain as attacks reach all-time high – “Hackers tried to breach federal networks more than 48,000 times in 2012, and those are just the ones agencies knew about and reported to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).” These attacks are hitting agencies which the GAO does not believe are prepared for such attacks. Via Federal News Radio, more here.
• VA exposed vets to possible fraud by sending personal data over insecure lines – “Agency violated federal law, own rules by routinely transmitting sensitive information over unencrypted networks, including Social Security Numbers and dates of birth.” The VA continues to find themselves on the wrong end of cybersecurity issues. From losing laptops with unencrypted data, to being the slowest to adopt the new ID cards, the VA is lagging behind in cyber, and this latest issue is a non-starter. Via Washington Guardian, more here.
• Hotspot 2.0 will power the mobile Internet – Some folks are avoiding the mobile broadband craze by just using mobile hotspots. Hotspot 2.0 allows users to move from hotspot to hotspot without connected to each one individually. This will allow people to use their iPods like iPhones, and keep in contact anywhere. Three technologies, WPA2, EAP and 802.11u are making this possible. Via ComputerWorld, more here.
• OMB memo looks to improve contractor past performance – The OMB is trying to reset the way that past performance on contractors is made available. “Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Joseph Jordan outlines three goals for helping federal agencies use contractor information:
  • Establishes a baseline for reporting compliance
  • Sets aggressive performance targets that can be used to monitor and measure reporting compliance, and
  • Ensures the workforce is trained to properly report and use this information.
  • Via FedScoop, more here.
• Kozinski: When consumers trade privacy for services, it’s difficult to prevent the gov’t from accessing that same info – Today, consumers just give up their right to privacy for services (see Google/Facebook), and think nothing of it. However, if we give this data to the corporation, the feds may be creeping in to it. The more available we make this data to others, the more likely the data might make it out. Via FierceGovernmentIT, more here.
• Obama’s Cyberwarfare Strategy Will Backfire – Jason Healey of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council wrote in US News about how the President’s statements are contradictory and may lead to a weakened US cyber posture. Via US News, more here.

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