Comments on: McAfee’s Take on the Cyber War http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/ The Future of the Military, Law Enforcement and National Security Sat, 26 May 2012 02:10:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Philo http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-189131 Philo Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-189131 Hey all, I came across this cyber-security related link I thought you guys might like: <a href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/category/cyber-security/" target="_blank">http://www.dodbuzz.com/category/cyber-security/</a> Enjoy, Philo Hey all, I came across this cyber-security related link I thought you guys might like:

http://www.dodbuzz.com/category/cyber-security/

Enjoy,
Philo

]]> By: Philo http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-189121 Philo Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:14:40 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-189121 (!) Good read. Thanks for the link :) (!) Good read. Thanks for the link :)

]]> By: Aygar http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188912 Aygar Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:46:41 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188912 I don't see much happening on this front until software companies are made legally liable for the damage that the exportation of bugs in their software can cause. Until then software vendors will have little or no incentive to ensure that their initial releases are bug free as possible. So most consumer software will riddled with bugs and vulnerabilities. --Aygar I don’t see much happening on this front until software companies are made legally liable for the damage that the exportation of bugs in their software can cause.

Until then software vendors will have little or no incentive to ensure that their initial releases are bug free as possible. So most consumer software will riddled with bugs and vulnerabilities.

–Aygar

]]> By: Ptsfp http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188908 Ptsfp Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:14:13 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188908 Aviation week hosted a cyber security seminar with Lockheed Martin and the NCOIC recently that was actually pretty interesting. Some very good points were made: The US is not the #1 internet user, China currently has 360 Million connected users. That is more than the entire population of the US combined. And this is no where near the amount of users that they can and will have. The attackers are more hidden than 10 years ago and less technical hackers are using more and more sophisticated tools. The Cyber expert for the DHS said that we are behind in this war and currently the bad guys are winning. It was also mentioned that the government and private sector needs to work together to form an active defense. The government is taking steps, but we are still in the catching up stage... Ptsfp Aviation week hosted a cyber security seminar with Lockheed Martin and the NCOIC recently that was actually pretty interesting. Some very good points were made:

The US is not the #1 internet user, China currently has 360 Million connected users. That is more than the entire population of the US combined. And this is no where near the amount of users that they can and will have. The attackers are more hidden than 10 years ago and less technical hackers are using more and more sophisticated tools.

The Cyber expert for the DHS said that we are behind in this war and currently the bad guys are winning. It was also mentioned that the government and private sector needs to work together to form an active defense. The government is taking steps, but we are still in the catching up stage…

Ptsfp

]]> By: Kevin http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188907 Kevin Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:06:27 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188907 There is a fair amount of white space ;-) There is a fair amount of white space ;-)

]]> By: Philo http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188904 Philo Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:34:29 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188904 Great, there goes my evening. Thirty seven pages? Uhg, better get to reading.... LOL Great, there goes my evening. Thirty seven pages? Uhg, better get to reading.…
LOL

]]> By: Ed! http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188892 Ed! Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:15:02 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188892 Jimbojones: The old rumor used to be that the hackers that succesfully got through DoD systems, once found were given the deal. The work for us or go to prison deal. However did we stop doing that? The other part is that we missed what other countries are doing, making it a specific trade craft akin to being infantry or a tanker or a truck driver. Make a job in the military that is Cyber. Have offensive and defensive specialties and start growing our ranks. Maybe even add that as a segment to the ASVAB so we can identify the most likely candidates. We have the talent here in the states to be the most formidable, we just need to harness that power. Jimbojones:

The old rumor used to be that the hackers that succesfully got through DoD systems, once found were given the deal. The work for us or go to prison deal. However did we stop doing that? The other part is that we missed what other countries are doing, making it a specific trade craft akin to being infantry or a tanker or a truck driver. Make a job in the military that is Cyber. Have offensive and defensive specialties and start growing our ranks. Maybe even add that as a segment to the ASVAB so we can identify the most likely candidates.

We have the talent here in the states to be the most formidable, we just need to harness that power.

]]> By: JimboJones http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188850 JimboJones Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:29:04 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188850 The trouble is there are statments on record from US military chiefs stating they will physically attack those who do these attacks, yet they, the US continue to get hacked and nothing gets done about it. I honestly think hackers have a free lunch when attacking American systems with the exception of that English kid with assburgers Gary McKinnon who went looking for UFO files on Pentagon computers and got caught. The trouble is there are statments on record from US military chiefs stating they will physically attack those who do these attacks, yet they, the US continue to get hacked and nothing gets done about it.
I honestly think hackers have a free lunch when attacking American systems with the exception of that English kid with assburgers Gary McKinnon who went looking for UFO files on Pentagon computers and got caught.

]]> By: WarScientist http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188849 WarScientist Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:24:42 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188849 You've just outlined the major drawback of the "attacking with fire" strategem. because of its nature, fire (or in this case a self-replicating virus) cannot be bargained with, appeased or controlled, and once released will continue to spread without any regard as to who owns what. This potential for self-harm (haha i set my neighbours house on fire.....oh crap now my house is on fire too!) needs to be carefully weighed against the damage you could do to your opponent, but in certain situations it could a valid strategy. What i was really trying to do is outline how strategy for conventional warfare can still be used in cyber-warfare, it just needs to be translated from bows & arrows into bits & bytes. You’ve just outlined the major drawback of the “attacking with fire” strategem. because of its nature, fire (or in this case a self-replicating virus) cannot be bargained with, appeased or controlled, and once released will continue to spread without any regard as to who owns what.

This potential for self-harm (haha i set my neighbours house on fire.….oh crap now my house is on fire too!) needs to be carefully weighed against the damage you could do to your opponent, but in certain situations it could a valid strategy.

What i was really trying to do is outline how strategy for conventional warfare can still be used in cyber-warfare, it just needs to be translated from bows & arrows into bits & bytes.

]]> By: Ed! http://defensetech.org/2009/11/23/mcafees-take-on-the-cyber-war/#comment-188847 Ed! Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:41:13 +0000 http://defensetech.org/?p=5060#comment-188847 Nidi: You are close in your analogy. However the self replicating virus is the tool of the average hacker capable of writing viruses. Them doing that is akin to spray and pray. Fire off the round and hope it hits the target. The adversary with nothing to lose or without the technical knowledge for more precise attacks will certainly use this method. You are correct in them wanting pinpoint strikes, but MOAB would still go to far. The best of them will do strikes that will do the most damage for the shot. They will be more akin to a sniper rather than a MOAB. Nidi:

You are close in your analogy. However the self replicating virus is the tool of the average hacker capable of writing viruses. Them doing that is akin to spray and pray. Fire off the round and hope it hits the target. The adversary with nothing to lose or without the technical knowledge for more precise attacks will certainly use this method.

You are correct in them wanting pinpoint strikes, but MOAB would still go to far. The best of them will do strikes that will do the most damage for the shot. They will be more akin to a sniper rather than a MOAB.

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