1. Click Subscription of Mr.Chris Farrell Membership $4.95 7 day Trial For Newbies/Dummies - Not Criminal IM Coach/Mentor.
2. Click DirecTV For US Satellite TV Subscription. Also Dish Network Call Now Toll Free : 877-287-3983 for an Obligation Free Chat.
3. Click 100DayLoans.com for cash advance payday loan 100 days repayment,SUBJEST to your State Laws Also Credit Reports and Scores
4. CLICK Coupon Codes & My Web Hosting Reviews/Recommendation
affiliate_link__affiliate_link__ ______
Showing posts with label government and regulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government and regulation. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

US Department of Defense Releases New Cybersecurity Strategy

By Nicole Henderson,July 15, 2011

he report outlines five initiatives to defend against cyberattacks
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- A new cybersecurity strategy issued by the Department of Defense on Thursday has been called "too predictable" and many say it paints too broad of a brushstroke over issues that are in need of more concrete action, especially given the recent political activity of hacker groups like Anonymous.

This report comes out a few days after a task force was named by federal CIO Vivek Kundra to consolidate the domains used by the government.

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III disclosed that the department was hit by a cyberattack in March, resulting in 24,000 stolen files related to a weapons system under development, according to a report by the Washington Post. Lynn says that a foreign intelligence service had been behind the attack.

The Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace issued by the Department of Defense outlined four main intiatives to deal with cybersecurity at a federal level including US Armed Forces being trained in cybersecurity, creating new defense operating systems, teaming up with other departments and the private sector to develop a government-wide strategy, and forging relationships with US allies to strengthen cybersecurity as a whole. The final strategic initiative "will leverage the nation's ingenuity through an exceptional cyber workforce and rapid technological innovation."

Under this strategy, cyberattacks would be classified as an act of war. This idea has been tossed around for a while, and was apparently the factor behind LulzSec's attack on the FBI affiliate InfraGard, and the US Senate.

US second-ranking military official Gen. James Cartwright told reporters on Thursday that the path is "too predictable, way too predictable." The plan is "purely defensive," he says, and fails to penalize hackers.

Cartwright recognizes the report as a first step, and says it provided opportunity to build out defenses and awareness.

According to the report, the strategy relies on sensors, software and special signatures that stop intrusions before they are completed.

Many have found holes in the plan, calling it partial at best, according to the Washington Post.

The plan says that most malicious attacks can be prevented through "cyber hygiene."

"Cyber hygiene  must be practiced by everyone at all times; it is just as important for individuals to be focused on protecting themselves as it is to keep security software and operating systems up to date," the report says.

The plan also calls for "development and integration in the areas of mobile media and secure cloud computing."

The strategy also relies on the private sector to develop collaborative approaches to cybersecurity, which could provide an opportunity for service providers to inform best practices.

"Public-private partnerships will necessarily require a balance between regulation and volunteerism, and they will be built on innovation, openness, and trust," the report says. "In some cases, incentives or other measures will be necessary to promote private sector participation.  DoD’s efforts must also extend beyond large corporations to small and medium-sized businesses to ensure participation and leverage innovation.  A collaborative national effort will develop common and workable solutions to policy problems that both increase cybersecurity and further the public good."

On Wednesday, Senator John McCain proposed the formation of a temporary committee to investigate government cyberattacks.

"I truly believe the only way to move comprehensive cyber security legislation forward swiftly is to have Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members step away from preserving their own committees’ jurisdiction in order to develop a bill that serves the national security needs of all Americans," the letter says.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Task Force to Consolidate US Federal Government Domains

By Nicole Henderson,July 13, 2011

The list of domains used by the federal government
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- A task force named by outgoing federal chief information officer Vivek Kundra will consolidate the domains used by the government over the next several months in order to clean up its web presence, according to a report by NextGov on Tuesday.

According to the report, The White House released a list of 1,759 top-level federal domains on Tuesday. The number is under the 2,000 domain mark that was estimated to exist when a three-month freeze on new government websites was ordered in June.
The federal government has been trimming the fat in its IT systems with a data center consolidation initiative (also led by Kundra) as well as a push towards cloud infrastructures. With Kundra set to leave his post in August, some worried that these initiatives would gather dust but it appears he is putting support in place to avoid this.

Made up of 17 people, the task force will streamline operations and improve customer service through domain consolidation. Kundra says the task force will take input from agencies and the public. By September 12, federal agencies are required to identify websites they can consolidate or get rid of completely, the report says.
According to the report, White House officials have estimated the top level .gov domains house approximately 24,000 individual websites and  subsites. Officials say many of the domains are duplicates or outdated.

The websites got out of hand in the 1990s when agencies or independent boards built separate sites for each new project or initiative, according to the report.

After the website freeze was announced, the White House blogged about an idea to have a single US government domain with all subsites incorporated into it. On Tuesday, Kundra said this was by no means the final decision.

Last month, ICANN approved a plan to increase the top-level domains to include almost any word in any language.