Countries Shore Up Digital Defenses as Tensions Raise the Threat of Cyberwarfare
Washington D.C. - In recent years, countries around the world have been tightening their cyberdefenses as global tensions rise and the threat of cyberwarfare becomes increasingly prominent.
A year ago, hackers linked to Russia's government launched a cyberattack against municipal water plants in rural Texas. The attack was designed to test the vulnerabilities of America's public infrastructure, but it also served as a warning: In the 21st century, it takes more than oceans and an army to keep the United States safe.
The confluence of events has national security and cyber experts warning of heightened cyberthreats and a growing digital arms race as countries look to defend themselves. At the same time, President Trump's administration has made several changes to the agencies that protect American interests in cyberspace.
Trump recently fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, who oversaw the NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Command. The U.S. faces "unprecedented cyber threats," said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"How does firing him make Americans any safer?" Warner said. Also under Trump, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency placed on leave staffers who worked on election security and cut millions of dollars in funding for cybersecurity programs for local and state elections.
The administration eliminated the State Department's Global Engagement Center, which tracked and exposed foreign disinformation online. The CIA, NSA, and other intelligence agencies also have seen reductions in staffing.
Despite shifting alliances, a growing consensus about cyberthreats could prompt greater global cooperation. More than 20 nations recently signed on to an international framework on the use of commercial spyware.
The U.S. has signaled it will join the nonbinding agreement. There's also broad bipartisan agreement in the U.S. about the need to help private industry bolster defenses.
Federal estimates say the cybersecurity industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 professionals to meet the challenge, said Dean Gefen, former chief of cybertraining for Israel's Defense Intelligence Technological Unit. He's now the CEO of NukuDo, a cybersecurity training company.
"Companies need effective guidance from the government - a playbook," Gefen said. "What to do, what not to do."