How a local threat becomes a national crisis

If you read the press you can't help but notice the increased reporting of what has been called cyber war games. These exercises examine the capabilities and decision making that would be necessary in the event an act of cyber terrorism or some other cyberattack resulting in a disruption were to take place. They are a necessity given the level of cyber threats that we face today.

Many within DoD feel the same way. In fact, some top defense officials believe that a realistic simulation that accurately represents the time-sensitive decision making in the complex cyberattacks setting is a must when preparing the nation for such an event. Nearly six years ago, the National Governors' Association crafted and released a statement stating the importance of federal, state, and local governments to perform their vital functions in the fact of an act of cyber terrorism or other type of cyberattack.

Earlier this year cybersecurity firm FireEye published a stat that is not only hard to believe but is extremely concerning. They found that "almost 90 percent of state officials are confident that they're protected against cyber threats."

How can that be the case when there are multiple reports that find the lack of properly skilled cybersecurity staff and absence of adequate budgetary resources are impacting federal, state and local levels of government? 

The failure to patch known vulnerabilities is one of the most common cybersecurity issues. In a study titled, "The State of Cybersecurity in Local, State and Federal Government," the Ponemon Institute found that a mere 32 percent of state and local agencies were confident in their ability to detect an attack. Even if they could detect an attack, only 19 percent rated their ability to prevent a cyberattack as high.  

The findings of the study mentioned above are very concerning. If multiple states are taken down by a cyberattack it quickly becomes a national security issue. Somehow this issue must be addressed. I wonder if state and local leaders are expecting federal resources (including Cyber Command and DoD) to come to their aid in the event of a cyberattack? Even those resources can only go so far.

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