The private sector, the defense is not enough US cyberspace, a security expert warns-Nextgov

More than ten years, the United States has relied primarily on voluntary activities by private companies to protect the nation's critical cyber infrastructure, but "does not work," said an expert computer of legislators.

The company owns 85 percent of the critical infrastructure and were willing to invest what is needed to protect against cyberattacks, James Lewis, senior fellow at the Center for strategic and international studies, said in the center of the internal security of the computer of the Subcommittee.

It's vulnerable to the charge of the key components of the infrastructure, such as the electrical grid and a financial institution, bedevil attacks, he said. Lewis heads the program in technology and public policy at the Center for strategic and international studies.

"No sector has a greater incentive than banks to protect their networks," he said. "They are a constant target. Some banks, particularly in the upper layers of the Bank, have sophisticated defence. Despite this hack.

"The Bank cannot protect themselves, why we think that other sectors will be able to do so?" Lewis asked.

Many companies like banks don't try so hard, because investing in the computer simply does not pay. "It requires is to spend for dry goods. They shall improve the return on investment "Installing cyber defense, Lewis said, so that they do.

"Regulation of awkward, but the alternative, in some cases is even worse. Computer security is one such case, "he said. The private sector should be an important role in the development of rules for computer security, but they needed stronger rules, said Lewis.

Policymakers should use access for chemical terrorism standards, said Lewis device. This regulation is to lay down safety standards for plants that produce high risk chemical substances, but also make the plant operators propose an alternative security plans.

The United States faces a number of cyber risk. The most serious – cyberwar--it seems unlikely. China and Russia could launch a devastating cyberattacks, which the United States is not ready, said Lewis. But it is unlikely that it would do so if we get into a conventional war with them.

The terrorists so far missing the ability to launch cyberattacks. "If this option, that would have used it," he said.

Others were more successful. Foreign intelligence agencies, organized criminals and corporate spies stole a huge amount of valuable information, military secrets, company, marketing information, information about the exploration of oil, intellectual property and cyber criminals have kidnapped hundreds of millions of dollars from banks, said Lewis.

"We are not prepared to defend themselves," he said, adding that so far there is no consensus about how to prepare.

Fast development of the sector of information technology offers potential solutions – cloud computing, computer consultant Mischel Kwon told the Subcommittee.

The emergence of "virtualized it infrastructure", or, the promises of cloud computing in the hands of the real experts, cyber defense said Kwon, a former Director of the United States computer emergency readiness team--the US-CERT-in the Department of Homeland Security, who now runs his own consulting firm.

"Soon the majority of firms, even government departments and agencies, will already have the data center, or continue to control their own mail servers, application, or desktop," she said. Instead, it will be buying these services from the cloud providers.

If the transition to the cloud is carried out correctly, security can be built into service companies and agencies to buy, she said.

Cloud computing promises to decrease cost of safety, because the costs will be reimbursed separately, but dispersed more cloud customers, said Kwon. In the same way, cloud computing could mitigate "cyber talent pool out of." The company will not need your own computer experts, knowledge will come with the services of the cloud.

"The company or Department and the Agency with tasks which are different from the information technology need to be in the field of IT," she said. Suppliers will supply the appropriate infrastructure and services.

Rep. Daniel Lungren, R-Calif., Chairman of the Subcommittee to computer security, said the hearing marked the beginning of the Subcommittee to study possible solutions for the defense of the UNITED STATES in cyberspace.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., the Subcommittee's senior Democrat, said the Congress and the various Presidents were warned about cyber errors in the past, but "What is missing is the courage and leadership to actually implement these recommendations."

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