Over the past two months, there have been two cyberattack simulations conducted with senior US officials.  Interesting results from both:

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The Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) hosted one simulation that had Chicago come under cyberattack.  According to the CSIS website, the simulation saw the federal government restoring power to Chicago and informing state and local agencies of the threat in the short-term.  In the medium-term, the federal government sought to attribute the attack and implement an "active cyber network defense program" for critical infrastructure.  No mention of the long-term.  In any event, CSIS put out a video summarizing the simulation which I have embedded below.  You can also find it on the CSIS website here.

Is the United States Prepared for a Cyber Attack? from CSIS on Vimeo.

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On March 8th, 2012, Eric Engleman and Chris Strohm reported for Bloomberg on the second cyberattack simulation.  This simulation saw NYC coming under cyberattack during the dead of summer, causing huge power outages oddly reminiscent of the Northeast blackout of 2003.  This simulation was designed to prod senators from both sides of the aisle into passing cybersecurity legislation.

The response from lawmakers was generally positive: Sen. Susan Collins said the simulation was "very compelling" and "illustrated . . . why legislation is desparately needed."  Along the same lines, Sen. Roy Blunt said that the simulation "got a whole buch of senators thinking about the same thing at the same time."

What's unclear, however, is whether the simulation will actually bring lawmakers together on cybersecurity legislation.  The Bloomberg article noted that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, while praising the simulation, still criticized the regulatory scheme that the CSA would create.  In this sense, the simulation didn't have its intended effect; everyone agrees that there is a problem, they just don't agree on the solution.  It seems that the Senate Republicans and Democrats are still a ways apart.

You can find the Bloomberg source article here.

Over the past two months, there have been two cyberattack simulations conducted with senior US officials.  Interesting results from both:

***

The Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) hosted one simulation that had Chicago come under cyberattack.  According to the CSIS website, the simulation saw the federal government restoring power to Chicago and informing state and local agencies of the threat in the short-term.  In the medium-term, the federal government sought to attribute the attack and implement an "active cyber network defense program" for critical infrastructure.  No mention of the long-term.  In any event, CSIS put out a video summarizing the simulation which I have embedded below.  You can also find it on the CSIS website here.

Is the United States Prepared for a Cyber Attack? from CSIS on Vimeo.

***

On March 8th, 2012, Eric Engleman and Chris Strohm reported for Bloomberg on the second cyberattack simulation.  This simulation saw NYC coming under cyberattack during the dead of summer, causing huge power outages oddly reminiscent of the Northeast blackout of 2003.  This simulation was designed to prod senators from both sides of the aisle into passing cybersecurity legislation.

The response from lawmakers was generally positive: Sen. Susan Collins said the simulation was "very compelling" and "illustrated . . . why legislation is desparately needed."  Along the same lines, Sen. Roy Blunt said that the simulation "got a whole buch of senators thinking about the same thing at the same time."

What's unclear, however, is whether the simulation will actually bring lawmakers together on cybersecurity legislation.  The Bloomberg article noted that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, while praising the simulation, still criticized the regulatory scheme that the CSA would create.  In this sense, the simulation didn't have its intended effect; everyone agrees that there is a problem, they just don't agree on the solution.  It seems that the Senate Republicans and Democrats are still a ways apart.

You can find the Bloomberg source article here.

Over the past two months, there have been two cyberattack simulations conducted with senior US officials.  Interesting results from both:

***

The Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) hosted one simulation that had Chicago come under cyberattack.  According to the CSIS website, the simulation saw the federal government restoring power to Chicago and informing state and local agencies of the threat in the short-term.  In the medium-term, the federal government sought to attribute the attack and implement an "active cyber network defense program" for critical infrastructure.  No mention of the long-term.  In any event, CSIS put out a video summarizing the simulation which I have embedded below.  You can also find it on the CSIS website here.

Is the United States Prepared for a Cyber Attack? from CSIS on Vimeo.

***

On March 8th, 2012, Eric Engleman and Chris Strohm reported for Bloomberg on the second cyberattack simulation.  This simulation saw NYC coming under cyberattack during the dead of summer, causing huge power outages oddly reminiscent of the Northeast blackout of 2003.  This simulation was designed to prod senators from both sides of the aisle into passing cybersecurity legislation.

The response from lawmakers was generally positive: Sen. Susan Collins said the simulation was "very compelling" and "illustrated . . . why legislation is desparately needed."  Along the same lines, Sen. Roy Blunt said that the simulation "got a whole buch of senators thinking about the same thing at the same time."

What's unclear, however, is whether the simulation will actually bring lawmakers together on cybersecurity legislation.  The Bloomberg article noted that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, while praising the simulation, still criticized the regulatory scheme that the CSA would create.  In this sense, the simulation didn't have its intended effect; everyone agrees that there is a problem, they just don't agree on the solution.  It seems that the Senate Republicans and Democrats are still a ways apart.

You can find the Bloomberg source article here.