The inconsistency of enforcing laws and policies is making the information security weaker and vulnerable, leaving the public unaware of how exposed they are towards regulatory problems until problems come into sight.
According to a report released last year, the U.S. federal, state and local government agencies scored the last rank in cyber security when compared to 17 major private industries, including retail, healthcare, and transportation.
Government agencies in the U.S. have struggled for years against malicious hackers and threats, a challenge that somewhat came into the spotlight after it was revealed last year that nearly 21 million individuals' confidential data were pilfered during a breach at the Office of Personnel Management.
In an effort of combating the inconsistency, U.S. President Donald Trump will soon introduce several steps to make cyber policies consistent in order to keep all consumers safer online.
Increased Emphasis on Comprehensive Policies
Michael Daniel, President Obama's Cybersecurity Coordinator, says that implementing rules is a deliberate process that is biased toward responsibly disclosing the vulnerabilities. Although identified as one of the most prominent economic and national security challenges that the nation is faced with, it also appears to be an area that the government as a country is not entirely prepared to seize hold of.
President Barack Obama in his remaining year in office made improving cyber defenses a top priority for the development of a comprehensive digital infrastructure. His administration requested Congress to dedicate $19 billion to cyber security in its fiscal 2017 budget proposal, which includes $3.1 billion for technology modernization at various federal agencies.
With Trump, it is expected that federal efforts to defend the U.S. information and communications infrastructure will continue at much comprehensive level.
Strengthening Hacking Defense Strategy
Prior administrations have developed a process to determine when to keep a vulnerability secret and when to disclose it at the realization that these secrets may cause spur and havoc among the citizens. The scrutiny of determining the vulnerability, however, requires a critical analysis of defenses and vulnerabilities in order to prevent costly, embarrassing and dangerous hacking.
In his new policy proposal, Trump envisions a Cyber Review Team consisting individuals from the military, law and the private sector that will provide an immediate review of all U.S. cyber defenses and vulnerabilities, including critical infrastructure.
The team will provide specific recommendations for safeguarding different entities with the best defense technologies tailored to the likely threats, and will follow up regularly with various Federal agencies and departments. The team will also establish detailed protocols and mandatory cyber awareness training for all government employees while remaining current on evolving methods of cyber-attack.
The idea of vulnerability, although seems big, seems probable that it can be navigated with much consistent laws and policies. However, with extended cyber security building initiatives under Trump, it would be no surprise that cyber threats will also continue to increase severity and sophistication.
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