Atlantic Organization for Security (AOS)

"Knowledge is wealth that multiplies only if given away."

CYBER SECURITY

this page contains selected report or intervention of the Cyber Challenges

  • 120730 GAO Study on Privacy and Federal Law: (download from GAO web here) Current federal privacy laws do not adequately protect sensitive information and need changes to keep up with the evolving technology landscape, says the Government Accountability Office in this report for Congress. “The increasing reliance by federal agencies on information technology has radically changed the way our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business,” says GAO. “While bringing significant benefits, this dependence on IT can also create vulnerabilities that can result in, among other things, the compromise of sensitive personal information through inappropriate use, modification, or disclosure.” This report describes the impact of recent technology developments on existing federal privacy laws, and recommends actions agencies can take to protect against and respond to breaches involving personal information.
  • 120801 ProPublica on the True Costs of Cyber Crime http://e2.ma/click/4ysqg/c9xnkd/ou61td : ProPublica’s Peter Maass and Megha Rajagopalan question whether cyber crime really costs global industry the hundreds of billions of dollars that many government and security analysts repeatedly allege. “There is little doubt that a lot of cybercrime, cyberespionage and even acts of cyberwar are occurring, but the exact scale is unclear and the financial costs are difficult to calculate because solid data is hard to get,” write the authors. “Relying on inaccurate or unverifiable estimates is perilous, experts say, because it can tilt the country’s spending priorities and its relations with foreign nations,” they say.
  • 120420 Cyber Security or Cyber War ? : Hosted by “Centro Alti Studi della Difesa (CASD)” on the 13 and 14th of June,  AFCEA Rome Chapter organised , together with the ITA AirForces Association (AAA) a two day seminar  ”Cyber Security or Cyber War”, in collaboration with CESMA and OSN organizations. Gen Stefano Panato, CASD President, opened the conference underlining the role of CASD in research and in particular in Cyber space, both in terms of defence and attack. Adm Cristiano Bettini, Deputy Chef of Staff of the IT MoD, introduced the workshop and described the new Italian Mod Cyberdefence policy. continue here
  • Nate Anderson on the Secret Service’s Global Hacker Hunt http://e2.ma/click/4ysqg/c9xnkd/4m71td : In this piece for Ars Technica, Anderson details the U.S. Secret Service’s successful, multi-year, global manhunt for three high-profile hackers: Albert Gonzalez (Cuban-American), Aleksandr Suvorov (Estonian), and Maksym Yastremskiy (Ukrainian). “Many cybercriminals, especially low-level ones, are in little danger of being picked up. But the Dave & Buster’s case does make one thing perfectly clear: when the government intends to take you down, the resources at their disposal are phenomenal,” Anderson writes. “‘Sneak-and-peeks’ in Dubai, agents in Latvia, hiding in Antaly hotel rooms, extradition requests, the cooperation of police on several continents, informants, months of expensive forensic work, hand-couriered drive images, a three-year undercover Secret Service investigation, years of work by U.S. attorneys—federal resources are not unlimited, but they are immense,” he says.
  • 110215 Stuxnet worm’s true origins
  • – Virus intended as “weapon of peace” –       Origins date back over 30 years, not 2009 as estimated – U.S., KGB, Israel, Canada, Australia and others have all had earlier versions – Proliferation may continue undetectable with experts only having solved “false flags” – Changes landscape of modern warfare as we know it . by PJ Wilcox Editor Cyber Security (120215 Stuxnet worm Origins)

  • 120130 “Public-private cooperation in cyber-security”, is the title of a high-level policymakers’ dinner organized by SDA with opening remarks by NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges Gábor Iklódy and European Commission Vice-president for the digital agenda Neelie Kroes. (download here the SDA report 120130 Public-private cooperation in cyber-security)

  • 120207 Industry thought leaders share cybersecurity insights for 2012 – Cybersecurity has emerged as a top priority for both government and industry. Tim McKnight, VP and Chief Information Security Officer at Northrop Grumman Corporation and Steve Adegbite Director, Cybersecurity Strategies at Lockheed Martin answer to 15 questions on  how threats have changed, and how budget-constrained agencies can defend against Advanced Persistent Threats. download the report here – Source Federal Computer Week www.fcw.com

  • 120130 “Improving global cyber governance”. SDA welcomed Jeff Moss, Vice President and Chief Security Officer of ICANN, Demosthenes Ikonomou, Head of Secure Services & Project Support Activities for the European Network Security Agency, Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges of NATO, Raj Samani, Vice President and CTO of McAfee Europe, Middle East and Africa to discuss the complex challenges of global governance in cyber-space (download here the SDA report 120130 Improving global cyber governance)
  • 110700 “Controlling the Internet”, The so-called ‘Twitter’ or ‘Web 2.0’ revolutions in the Arab world have sparked fierce debate on the right of governments to shut down the internet. This has been paralleled by criticism of Iran and China for their use of social media to track political protesters and for propaganda. The debate, with the participation of  Erika Mann, Executive Vice President. Computer & Communications Industry Association, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Suleyman Anil Head, Cyber Defence Section, Emerging Security Challenges Division (ESCD) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Robert Madelin Director-General for Information Society and Media European Commission, Joe McNamee Advocacy Coordinator European Digital Rights (EDRi), led an interesting report from SDA. (download here the SDA report110427 Controlling the internet )
  • 110224 2011 AFCEA Homeland Security Conference – General Keith B. Alexxander, USA, Commander, US Cyber Command Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service gives the Opening Keynote: one of the pillars is “Building International Partnership”, he said (min 24 ca): “we do not have a US network, or a Canadian network or a Mexican network … it is one network, … and we have to have an International Partnership to protect us … and our government has to work with the Private Sector, with Academia and with our allies …”