CIO OPINION
The truth is that attackers still enjoy the advantage , but we can change that .
to cybercriminals in an effort to stem the tide of ransomware attacks .
Preventing the next major attack
Ensuring that those responsible suffer consequences for the DarkSide , SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange attacks is important , but what is perhaps even more crucial is what we do after that .
The extent of the potential impact to our critical infrastructure and national security is significant . How do we – as a nation and as a cybersecurity industry – do everything we can to make sure this doesn ’ t happen again ?
Protecting our cyber-infrastructure is as important as protecting physical infrastructure . That ' s how dependent we have become in the connected world , whether it be with financial systems , healthcare systems , air traffic control towers , home automation or defense systems .
We will not prevent the next DarkSide , SolarWinds or Microsoft Exchange attack by deploying the same failed cybersecurity solutions that haven ’ t worked in the past – the same ones that completely missed these attacks against tens-of-thousands of organizations for the better part of a year . We need to change the way cyber-operations are addressed .
The future must include the US government drawing a line in the sand and sparing no resources in pursuing and prosecuting those responsible for attacks like these . We cannot allow these foreign threats to continue to operate without fear of capture or any threat of repercussions or consequences .
The truth is that attackers still enjoy the advantage , but we can change that . The security industry has long stood together – shoulder to shoulder – with customers and partners and even competitors , because in this fight we stand together .
We may disagree on the methods , but not on the merits . Now , with the words and actions of the Biden Administration , the public and private sector can work together to fight this threat and prevent the next major attack . p
46 INTELLIGENTCIO NORTH AMERICA www . intelligentcio . com