Some Strong Words About U.S. Cyber Security Efforts

The U.S. government’s cyber security efforts have come under plenty of scrutiny as of late. And, much of the criticism in warranted. The U.S. power grid was recently hacked into, and the computer spies breached the Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter Project. These were two high-profile breaches that completely exposed our nation’s vulnerability.

While we have certainly tried to raise our voice about this issue, there are leading industry experts who are using even stronger language to describe our nation’s current cyber security efforts. For example, Alan Paller from the SANS Institute told BBC news that the government’s cyber defenses were “embarrassing.” Meanwhile, RSA Chief Strategist Tim Mather also said this:

“I think we are seeing a real breaking point in security with consumers, business and even government saying enough, no more. Let’s rethink how we do this because the system is broken.”

The sheer bluntness these gentlemen have bestowed upon us, while refreshing as it is, actually underscores the seriousness of these issues. The more strong language we hear from industry the more likely things will move in the right direction. What do you think?