Cyber Security – Focus of US Government Efforts

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced the Bureau’s new strategy for countering cyber threats in remarks at the National Cybersecurity Summit. The strategy, Wray explained, is to “impose risk and consequences on cyber adversaries” — making it harder for both cyber criminals and foreign governments to use malicious cyber activity to achieve their objectives.

Malicious cyber activity cost the U.S. economy between $57 billion and $109 billion in 2016, according to a report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers. But a new bill would help equip the general public, as well as businesses and governments, with the tools and guidance to protect against cyberthreats.

The bill – the Cyber Essentials Act —introduced by Rep. John Katko (R-NY) directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop and publish evidence-based guidance Americans can follow to secure their technology and data. The bill requires these agencies to collaborate on a list of basic actions the general public should take, according to homelandprepnews.com. 

“Today, cyberattacks are more pervasive than ever, and continue to cost individuals, businesses, and governments billions of dollars each year. While most Americans recognize cybercrime as a growing threat to their security and the security of our nation, many are unable to navigate the complexities of currently available cybersecurity guidance,” Katko, ranking member on the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection & Innovation Subcommittee, said. “To effectively protect against cybercrime, we must make guidance more accessible to the general public.”