Expert believes US government vulnerable to cyber attacks

Friday, September 23, 2011

Former presidential adviser Richard Clarke recently told Government Computer News that the United States faces increased cyber security issues and are not prepared to face the potential onslaught of threats.

As it stands, the U.S. government lacks the proper cyber defenses to protect critical infrastructure, online assets and sensitive data. According to the news provider, the advantage in the cyber security world now heavily favors the attackers.

Clarke said that many organizations still rely on first-generation IT tools to combat threats, which makes them vulnerable to new threats.

"I don’t think it’s a rosy picture, for the government or the private sector," Clarke told Government Computer News. "What it means is that attacks have gotten qualitatively better. If someone wants to get into your network, they can get in."

Cyber criminals continue to take advantage of evolving technologies, including smartphones and tablets. As a result, a new malware strain was discovered every 12 seconds during the first half of 2011, increasing 273 percent from last year, according to a recent study conducted by G Data Security Labs.