By: B.K. Gogia
Our country, and the world at large, undeniably finds itself in a state of cyber warfare. The enemy is disparate – ranging from enemy nation-states to rogue actors – and scattered across the globe. Their tactics are increasingly brazen and hostile as they wreak havoc on American life by exploiting digital weaknesses from the other side of the world. These adversaries have no rules of engagement, which yields an increasingly hostile threat to both our personal security and our national security. As a result, the United States is at a crossroads in dealing with these menacing forces, and how it responds will determine not only our long-term well-being, but how the enemy engages in the time ahead.
While America has a long history on the international stage, cyber war and diplomacy is a new theater. In this era, a host of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) have grown more aggressive in their efforts to steal American intellectual property, extract ransom, and disrupt American life. While they each have different motives and tactics, their objective is the same: exploit weaknesses in America’s cybersecurity systems at all costs. We must better understand the threats we face in order to protect our interests and go on offense against these enemies. At minimum, better defenses and cyber hygiene can enhance deterrence by allowing the government to focus on these APTs. Even so, the need for other methods of deterrence and resilience remain.
There are three main vectors of cyberattack: via networks, via supply chains, and by human insiders who may be malicious or just careless. China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea have actively engaged in cyberwarfare with the United States, and they’ve shown no signs of backing down. From creating chaos in our streets to shutting down an oil pipeline that sent gas prices soaring, their digital interference has permeated daily life. As a result, we must not underestimate their resolve in stealing information and destroying our security.
China poses one of America’s greatest strategic threats, and as the rhetoric coming from Beijing intensifies, so do their efforts to take advantage of our intellectual property. China’s interest in competing with the United States has resulted in widespread attempts to steal IP from our businesses. Similarly, Iran has formed a sophisticated cyberwarfare operation aiming to create havoc across the globe. Already, Iran has stolen billions of dollars in intellectual property and targeted hundreds of businesses across the globe, including universities and major businesses across industries. Without action, we can expect these violations to continue.
Earlier this year, the National Intelligence Council released a report describing Russia’s efforts to undermine public confidence in the 2020 election through a misinformation campaign that permeated America’s cyber systems. Their goal is to disrupt American life, and they mask their deception in seemingly realistic ways across popular social media and news platforms. The damaging long-term result of these tactics is a country divided from within, which serves to advance Russia’s goal of global superiority on the international stage.
North Korea has deployed an army of cyberhackers aimed at using ransomware to extort funds from businesses, financial institutions, and individuals. Three North Korean hackers were charged earlier this year with stealing $1.3 billion through cyber-attacks, and former United States Attorney General for National Security called North Korea the “world’s leading 21st century nation-state bank robbers.” Undeterred by sanctions and the threat of further isolation, the country continues looking for ways to exploit weaknesses in our cyber systems.
Ransomware is a common thread across these attacks, and that market is primed given little friction in the ecosystem and the need for money to launch an attack. These kinds of attacks are global in nature, and a global response is needed to disrupt these actors.
Congress recognizes that the stakes for our country are high and has adopted many recommendations of the bipartisan Cyber Solarium Commission in this year’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The government’s ability to identify and designate systemically important critical infrastructure ensures that cyber incident information systems and mandatory incident reporting are taken into consideration. This allows our government to work with other stakeholders to share information to secure our networks and systems.
This is good progress, but there’s more to do. We must have continued leadership at the federal level, as well as partnership from the private sector, so that America can stave off these attacks before they begin.
Until we work across party lines to fully tackle the threat that cyber warfare poses to our country and its institutions, we will continue to be the victims of ruthless attacks aimed at crumbling our very foundations. The government needs to plan for the modernization of architecture, which is hugely important because we’re dealing with legacy networks, and bringing security at the outset in building new systems to create visibility.
Further, the government works closely with internet service providers, cloud service providers, and cybersecurity companies that underpin our infrastructure technology. They have unparalleled visibility into domestic infrastructure. We need entities to adopt basic practices on cyber hygiene, including multi-factor authentication, offsite backups, regular updates, and more. No one is immune from this threat, and we need all hands on deck to properly prepare and respond.
We must take swift and bold action to protect our cyber systems from interference and to respond to those who have caused us harm. In doing so, we can ensure a future that minimizes risk and maximizes our security.
B.K. Gogia is an entrepreneurial business leader with extensive experience in cybersecurity and data science. He resides in northern Virginia.
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