Cybersecurity Issues

Cybersecurity Issues

All government levels need to perform intensive work in addressing the numerous capabilities gaps within the first responder of FEMA analysis and emergency community when dealing with cybersecurity intervention and preparedness. The emerging issues need critical consideration to ensure the emergency managers develop a useful framework that could help in addressing future research questions. Different areas require addressing through the implementation of an excellent analytical model. The main area that most cities and states should be planning where a better plan requires formulating in addressing the issue of cybersecurity. The development of a cybersecurity program will be one of the gaps a good idea should resolve within a local or state level. Pre-defined support agreements fall under planning stage where there is the development of resource acquisition outline.

Another way to handle the issue of cybersecurity is through coordination, where the model should ensure all the entities within an organization performs the indicated tasks accordingly. Within different state levels, there are various entities which need to work together to ensure adequate response to cyber incidents. There exist a rapid spread and broader scope in matters affecting cybersecurity where it calls for cooperation of the private sector in addressing these issues. Different industries have different resources which they should share in addressing cyber threats and attacks to minimize the risk and offer mitigation strategies. Through proper coordination to tackle cyber threats, it will be easier to promote information gathering and enhance information sharing, thus managing incidents as they occur. Moreover, coordination builds public-private partnerships where it becomes easier for private sectors to utilize federal resources in addressing a common goal.

Incident response is another entity to consider when formulating the cybersecurity analytical model. Within this stage, it is crucial to understand the roles and responsibilities of both the federal and national institutions. Additionally, this element outlines the intervention tools necessary for addressing the cyber incidents. Lack of clear outreach and communication concerning cyber threats and the impact that arises from such an attack leads to poor implementation of the response strategy. Different gaps exist that the incident response should address such as response tools and the tactics implemented by the agency where there is a need for involvement of law enforcement, including electronic tactical response team. The flow of the decision-making process within the state and federal agencies should fall under the incident response for easier management of outreach and communication when dealing with cyber incidents.

The cybersecurity model also requires the element of assessment where there will be examining the preventative measures available. An institution can manage to deter incident of cyber threats occurring through evaluation of their systems to detect the risks and address the incidents as they occur. Additionally, there is need to develop measures that will ensure there are no scenarios of unauthorized access to the system through promotional of situational awareness and examination of service continuity to the underlying systems, especially when under an attack. The security agencies should access how such systems are responding to such attacks to determine the system weaknesses and strengthens and offer a contingency plan that can help the system ensure the continuation of service delivery.

Lastly, state agencies should introduce training and exercise as another element that will help to addresses cyber threats and attacks. The role of training programs is to ensure there is awareness about malicious attacks, understand how to detect an attack on the system, and analyze the effectiveness of the contingency strategies outlined. Most of the organizations are experiencing the issue of cyberattack as there is little investment in training and exercises. Thus most of the employees lack the relevant idea on how to address the issue of a cyber attack. One way to address this issue will be the development of programs that can quickly detect malicious activities and inform the user. Moreover, there is a need to establish cybersecurity training to ensure everyone has an idea on how to respond to such attacks.

Conclude with a research or policy question for further studies

How can one enforce collaboration between the private sectors, such as industries with the state government to address the issue of cybersecurity despite the more significant challenges concerning resource sharing?

Part 2

What needs get done, and how do we get people to do it?

The state, the public, and the private sector are different entities believing they can address the issue of cybersecurity on their own but due to such reason there exist various vulnerabilities that face the country as whole including individual information circulating on an online network. For example, the main focus of the state government is to ensure their computer peripherals and systems where the private sector is left to deal with homeland security. Additionally, most of the private firms dealing with cybersecurity hold a lot of crucial information that could undermine the safety of the entire the whole country if it falls on the wrong hands. Therefore, there is need for the state to ensure there is existing legislation that provides the private companies operates under control and that they can easily cooperate by giving information on the cybersecurity measures they are implementing. However, the bill should not act like covert laws as the state should be open about their need for such a participatory approach.

The private and state sector should engage in discussion and outline the importance of having a shared understanding during ensuring of security of a nation from threats. Mostly the government relies on the private sector for the development, deployment, and maintenance of software and hardware equipment hence there is need for the state of understanding that such systems cannot undermine the integrity and confidentiality on a nation. The state should be open to the public and make them know the reason for dealing with the private sector as a way of lowering the government budget. Moreover, the government should explain the reason for implementing a proactive approach in dealing with cyber threats despite having a government-private partnership. The computing technology comprises of many vulnerabilities as assembling of different parts of a complete system occur within different regions. Due to such reason, defining cybersecurity measures becomes hard based on policies set by various manufacturing companies, including the policies set by the government, thus making the entire state vulnerable. Therefore, from such understanding, the private, public, and country will require to have a collective agreement on how all can work together in addressing the common issue of cybersecurity.

Will a traditional regulatory model work in this space?

The field of computing and informatics is ever-evolving which makes the process of legislation and policy formulation inadequate as new attacks and threats are evolving every day. The traditional regulatory model may, therefore, fail to address the activities of the private sector, including the malicious activities perpetrated by hackers. Everyone tends to comply with the imposed laws, and thus the hackers will try to find new strategies not outlined within the existing laws. Consequently, without new regulations in place makes the state vulnerable. Different practical concerns and principles undermine the active cybersecurity policies based on the cautious approach used by the private sector. According to the private sector, there are electronic security checks introduced by the set requirements which act as state regulation. Thus, most computing firms feel there is undermining of the cybersecurity standards through the legislation introduced by the state. Therefore, there is a need for a participatory approach to ensure states grants constitutional autonomy to industries as cybersecurity regulations may prevent innovations which might include technology that can address cyber threats. A situation that may arise with such laws is that there will be more costs instilled by the private firms to cover the demands by the authorities. Therefore, the state should avoid the traditional model and develop a new approach that promotes participatory by the industry and settle the fears of cybersecurity.

Do a newer model address uniquely 21st-century issues need to get developed?

Use of newer model goes in line with new cybersecurity concerns and issues. Promotion of cooperation that ensures information sharing is essential to both the private and state sector. Moreover, there is a representation of the private sector through the information-sharing agencies; thus, firms under such organization gains secure liability. The fear of loss of privacy is inclusive within the newer model whereby the private sector adheres to certain privacy restrictions to ensure the security of shared personal information. The introduction of a fresh approach by the government offers more benefit in their cooperation with the private sector. The cybersecurity mission is achievable through the mutual agreement of private and federal agencies.

Moreover, the cybercriminal offence will be manageable through modernization of the law enforcement agencies. Updates to the process of reporting national data breach will reduce threats such as identity theft with businesses investing more on cybersecurity. The introduction of the new legal provision will ensure that the public has trust with the private sector as the firms will ensure they provide security of personal data. Therefore, the state will have to revise the way of developing cybersecurity measures taking into consideration the interest of the private sector.

Whom should the government regulate?

One way of handling cybercrime is through the formulation of regulation, but also there is a need to consider other methods that can prevent the crime. Cybercrime is an issue that is evolving very rapidly as compared to control measures which may take a lot of time to implement. Therefore, one way of bridging the gaps within cybersecurity is through monitoring these systems from manufacturing stage all through the process of procurement minding security at large. Thus there requires regulation of the military, the cyber workforce and the private industry. The participatory approach will be a crucial element when dealing with fears of each stakeholder rather than formulation cybersecurity policies for firms to follow.

Conclude with a research or policy question for further studies

What will be the best process to promote a participatory approach and enhance regulation that governs the cyber domain while at the same time ensuring private sector attains flexibility in running their daily activities?