{"id":3240,"date":"2020-12-09T08:59:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T12:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/?p=3240"},"modified":"2020-12-08T14:13:47","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T18:13:47","slug":"cyberwarfare-how-the-u-s-can-confront-this-new-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/security-information-event-management\/cyberwarfare-how-the-u-s-can-confront-this-new-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyberwarfare: How the U.S. Can Confront This New Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cyberwarfare:<\/h2>\n

Cyberwarfare: How the U.S. Can Confront This New Reality<\/h2>\n

By Baan Alsinawi, Founder and President of TalaTek, sharing cyberwarfare expertise as part of the #InfoSecInsightJam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cyberwarfare is the new frontier of international conflict. As a phenomenon, it is no more clearly defined than by the rising tensions between Iran and the US. In response to a rising number of attacks on federal workers by government-backed Iranian hackers, President Trump eliminated the Obama-era law against cyberwarfare to endow US federal security officials with the power to use computers as offensive weapons. While retaliation might seem a natural reaction to protecting federal agencies and America\u2019s enterprises and organizations, this policy change could prove to be the ignition that lights the blue touch paper, causing a fire the US might not be capable of extinguishing.<\/p>\n

If retaliation and antagonism aren\u2019t the answer in this new age of diplomacy, it\u2019s important to understand why this is the case and determine how else governments should approach it.<\/p>\n


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The centrality and susceptibility of computers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cyberwarfare shines a harsh spotlight on the global community\u2019s dependence on computers to manage key functions, such as government operations, defense, infrastructure, healthcare, and financial services. If a system is hijacked or infiltrated to destroy, disrupt, or compromise one of these functions, the susceptibility of entire cities, and even populations, is laid bare. If public transport infrastructure is halted, for instance, our ability to travel and work could be taken away.<\/p>\n

When you consider this and leave politics aside, a calculated look at the potential impact of Trump\u2019s policy change raises the specter of a massive escalation in cyberattacks and counterattacks between nation-states, which could prove disastrous. A 2019 Wall Street Journal article, \u201cRussian Hackers Reach U.S. Utility Control Rooms, Homeland Security Officials Say,\u201d reveals that America\u2019s national infrastructure is replete with vulnerabilities. Although its military power remains dominant, the U.S. would likely be unprepared for the ramifications of a serious cyber-attack. To paraphrase the old idiom, those who live in glass houses should take care when throwing stones at their neighbors. Failure to do so could prove detrimental to national infrastructure and the people it serves and protects.<\/p>\n

Rising tensions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

An Iranian government-linked cyber-espionage group referred to as APT34 has been associated with recent attacks on U.S. federal government employees. This threat vector, active since at least 2014, uses a mix of public and nonpublic tools, such as password-collecting tools and social engineering campaigns, to harvest strategic information that can further Iran\u2019s geopolitical and economic needs. APT34, also known as OilRig and Greenbug, has conducted broad targeting across a variety of foreign industries and governments operating in the Middle East. Its strongest interest is gaining access to foreign corporations and governments\u2019 financial and energy utilities.<\/p>\n

As risk management experts, it\u2019s our job to inform organizations operating in both the public and private sectors on how to take proactive cybersecurity precautions against current threats and prepare for future attacks. While the U.S. federal government has enacted certain measures to combat cyberwarfare attacks against its agencies, more needs to be done in the shape of a \u201cwhole-of-nation\u201d approach. Government contractors, state and local governments, private industry, educational institutions, banks and other financial entities, retail chains, hospitals in cohesion with the federal government are well-advised to follow these measures as applicable to protect their assets and thwart hacking attempts.<\/p>\n

The<\/strong> NIST Cyber Security Framework <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is actively working on developing robust and effective frameworks for both government and industry. The NIST Cyber Security Framework\u2014CSF\u2014is designed to address the following:<\/p>\n