Cyber Attack Data Sharing Is Lacking, Congress Told Washington Post (09/19/08) P. D2; Nakashima, Ellen
as it appeared in the September 19, 2008 edition of ACM TechNews.
U.S. intelligence agencies are unable to share information on foreign cyberattacks against companies due to a fear of jeopardizing intelligence-gathering sources and methods, testified Paul B. Kurtz at the first open hearing on cybersecurity held by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Kurtz and other cybersecurity experts discussed the Bush administration's Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, which focuses on cybersecurity espionage against government systems but, according to the experts, does not adequately address the private sector. The panelists, members of the Center for Strategic and International Studies commission on cybersecurity, say there is no coordinated strategy or mechanism for sharing intelligence about intrusions with companies, nor is there a systematic way for companies to share information with the government. Although certain information must be kept classified, the government needs to be better at sharing unclassified information on cyberattacks, says Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), who chairs the intelligence committee. Office of the Director of National Intelligence's Ross Feinstein says the intelligence community works very closely with law enforcement on cyberattacks to share knowledge that might assist with investigations, and with the Department of Homeland Security to assist with infrastructure protection efforts. Kurtz also says the United States is heavily investing in technologies that are being stolen at little to no cost by the country's adversaries. Click Here to View Full Article - Web Link May Require Free Registration
