The Homeland Security committee's chairman Michael McCaul says enough actions are not being taken to prevent cyber security threats. The infrastructure, military and private sector are likely to be affected from this. The main concern is that anybody can be a hacker today, without any technical knowledge. Also, recruiting high skilled people for cyber software is very important to prevent threats.
The CEO of CSID (identity protection and fraud detection company) Joe Ross brings to notice the ease of cyber attacks these days. Malware Ransom attacks encrypt a site or user's data with a key. To get the data back, user has to pay. The hacker gets to download these ransomware modules freely, no technical mastery required. Hackers also capture people's credit/debit card information, known as phishing. The ransomware leads the user to links asking to enter their card data so the hacker easily gets all the money.
The triangulation of unprotected information is another threat. The data hack of adultery site Ashley Madison last year revealed the email id's of 15,000 officials from the military and the government. This indirectly posed a danger to their lives.
Last week at the SXSW Interactive, Congressman Admiral Bobby Inman, McCaul and experts of security industry Dena Graziano and Joe Ross came together. They talked about a wide range of cyber threats that included threats to the public, the U.S. businesses and the military. McCaul expressed his worries related to the challenges faced by the government in hiring sharp minds in cryptography and software. This is because the public-sector fails to match the private-sector's scale of payment.
Ultimately, Cybersecurity is not just for the government or the military. Since we all are more connected to the internet and the systems, efficient security system is essential to prevent attacks from minor criminal hackers, terrorists, etc.