Intel Chief Cites Threat Of Cyber Attacks
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday that cyber attacks are a growing threat to the United States, saying in written testimony that "malicious cyber activity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication."
During a hearing on the national intelligence community's annual threat assessment, Blair began his written testimony focusing on the threats posed by cyber attacks. Noting the growing importance of the Internet and communications infrastructure to the federal government, the economy and U.S. society, he warned that "this critical infrastructure is severely threatened."
He said Google' revelation last month that it had been the target of cyber attacks originating from China offered "a stark reminder of the importance of these cyber assets, and a wake-up call to those who have not taken this problem seriously." He noted that firms who report such incidents to federal authorities promptly, "greatly help us to understand and address the range of cyber threats that face us all."
Blair said the threats are multifaceted and come from "nation states, terrorist networks, organized criminal groups, individuals, and other cyber actors with varying combinations of access, technical sophistication and intent. Many have the capabilities to target elements of the US information infrastructure for intelligence collection, intellectual property theft, or disruption." He said addressing the problem will require a "coordinated and collaborative effort" involving the federal government, the private sector and other countries
President Obama has promised to elevate cybersecurity as a key priority. In December, he named Howard Schmidt to serve as the federal government's first White House cybersecurity coordinator.
Several bills aimed at improving the nation's response to cyberattacks are moving through Congress. The House is set to take up a bill (H.R. 4061) Wednesday that would improve the coordination of the federal government's cybersecurity research efforts. "Legislation like this will ultimately improve cooperation between government and industry in cybersecurity research and development and advance awareness and education about the critical threats we face," TechAmerica President and CEO Phil Bond said in a statement.
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Cybersecurity
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