Cyber security has become one of the major challenges that are facing the globe. With the introduction and development of information technology and the internet, security issues regarding the overall processes and practices of these new technologies is being targeted. This rise in cyber challenge has led the United States of America and other nations to create compressive cyber security measures to protect this rich and crucial resource that forms the largest part of global economic, social and political development. In a summary, cyber security can be defined as practices or rather processes and measures taken to protect computer technologies and processes, data and programs from any kind of attack and damage, also from unauthorized access. Indeed, cyber security has become a national disaster and risk, has the risk has been identified to constantly be in changing nature that could not easily be identified with. Hence, the focus of the government has been in ensuring the protection of the resources that are easily vulnerable and not protected. But this approach has not been successful as Mr. Sanders of the Department claimed that the threat of cybercrime is advancing and changing than the government can keep up with, as it changes faster. Hence, President Obama upon his inauguration in 2008 presided over a comprehensive cyber security initiative that looks for a better approach in order to ensure the protection of information and communications infrastructure hence securing the broader infrastructure.
Summary of the Initiative
As discussed above the initiative seeks to ensure the defense of the digital infrastructure of the United States of America. The initiative through the acceptance and authority of President Obama recommended for the selection of the Executive Branch coordinator of cybercrime. The Executive Branch is to work with all cyber security players which will include the private sector and relevant federal and state governments. The basic objectives of the Executive Branch is to ensure that in at all times there is a unified and organized response towards cyber incidents, empower and strengthen private and public partnerships in order to design technological solutions that will thereby the prosperity and defense of U.S, also to invest and undertake cutting edge research and development that is to lead to the absolute innovation and absolute discoveries that will be able to meet the current and future digital challenges, and lastly campaign and promote cyber security awareness while ensuring digital literacy to all Americans in order to build a strong and ready digital workforce. As he was endorsing the initiative the President also reminded everyone that all these objectives should be met in a consistent manner that allows the guarantee the privacy rights and civil liberties are cherished by the citizens.
Initially, the initiatives had been launched by President George W. Bush in a “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 (NSPD-54/HSPD-23) in that January. Hence, in the same spirit, President Obama indicated that the initiative activities should be able to implement a broader and distinct advanced cyber security strategy. To ensure cyberspace security, the initiative is based on three crucial initiatives. The first of the objectives is to establish an immediate base for the defense of the current threats; these will involve a possible shared or partnered situational awareness of the vulnerable and threats, events of networks with the relevant federal and state agencies and even private players so as to ensure prompt actions in order to reduce and counter such vulnerabilities. The second initiative is based on the overall defense of all threats, these will involve all counterintelligence capabilities and security is enhanced and increased for the maintenance of the key information technologies. The last initiative is to strengthen the cyber security environment of the future; these would be achieved be the expansion of cyber education and coordination, research and development effort redirection in both the state and federal government so as to define strategies that will enable deter any malicious and dangerous cyberspace activities. These goals are to be achieved in the strengthening of the key foundational capabilities which and intelligence, with defense communities funding in enhancing its functions.
In the spirit of transparency and enhanced information sharing were effected in order to improve public understanding hence the following will outline the essentials of the Comprehensive Cyber Security Initiative in detail. First, the Federal Enterprise Network to be managed as single network holding trusted internet connections. The initiative recommends that the TIC is to cover the consolidation of any external access points so as to facilitate the overall external access limiting, validation of agency security adherence and security capabilities establishment of baselines. Agencies will have to participate as TIC providers or as IP service providers. Then there will be deployment of intrusion prevention systems within the federal enterprise. The Einstein 3 approach will be used here to provide civilian and federal branch technology and departments protection. Einstein 3 will be able to identify and also characterize all kinds of malicious network traffic so that the traffic can be involved in cyber security analysis and situational analysis with an immediate security response. Hence, this approach is crucial in identifying a threat and neutralizing it before the threat does harm, thereby the approach provides a defensive mechanism with the support of other services to detect and resolve any kind of threats and malicious instruments. But the approach faces certain civil liberties and privacy issues which officials from both sides are working on realizing an operational mode and mechanism in best possible grounds.
Use of intrusion detection system by use of sensors wills another initiative. Passive sensors with the support of Einstein 2 approach will work on inspecting internet traffic on federal institutions and agencies so that malicious activities and unauthorized access is detected. This system will use powered expertise that will work on using the approach and reaching its targets. A privacy review will be undertaken by the department of Homeland Security to meet the approach. The coordination and redirection of the efforts from research and development will involve development of research and development strategies or rather structures for progressive coordination. This is to ensure that unclassified and classified research and development progress be redirected to where it’s needed so as to solve research redundancy and gaps, efforts and funding issues. For information and data sharing and coordination cyber ops connection for situational awareness boosting, all kinds of data regarding malicious activities against all federal and state systems should be shared within government cyber operational centers and other institutions so as a proper and better understanding of the threat is derived for maximum advantage and defense. Hence government systems and networks are to be emerged to enhance the process through collaboration and coordination. Also a development and implementation a counterintelligence cyber will be implemented, these is necessary in ensuring of the coordination of federal activities so as agencies can be able to deter and mitigate, detect any foreign intelligence threat. Hence, viable cyber education programs that emerged with awareness campaigns will be affected. A workforce development program will also be affected for the same in relation to the National Counterintelligence Strategy.
Due diligence and integrity of classified information that is vital for the federal government should be exercised through thorough security involvement and engagement. Cyber education should be expanded so as to create individuals with the right skills and knowledge to assist in the implementation and control of all cyber security technologies. These are to create more expertise to handle cyber security technical issues. Development of technologies that will provide security through the research development will also promote in the future cyber security. These will need mutual investment by the government and the private sector so as a proper program and strategies on the same are affected. In a conclusion the imitative also presented approaches by the government in the development of a global risk management on information and communication with other nations. These will help in the sharing of cyber security risks though global marketplace complexities understanding and evaluation. The supply chain risks management will clearly define standards and strategies for the federal government to secure itself. Indeed, at the end the government will need to work and share with the private sector and the public the essentials of cyber security. These define the principles of effective cyber security and that will determine an efficient initiative.