DoD Sharing Threat Data With Critical Industries

Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that for the past two years, the Defense Department has been collaborating with critical industries to stem the loss of important defense industry data — by some estimates at least $100 billion worth over that time. The Pentagon is considering ways to share its threat data with other industries including telecommunications and Internet service providers, led by the DoD's Cyber Crime Center, the clearinghouse for threat data from the NSA, military agencies, the DHS, and industry. The Pentagon's trial program with industry illuminates the promise and the pitfalls of such partnerships: a reluctance of intelligence and law enforcement agencies to release threat data they consider classified, and the companies' fear of losing control over personal or proprietary information. 'This isn't just about national security,' says Barbara Fast, vice president of Boeing Cyber Solutions. 'It's about the economic well-being of the United States.'"

Comments

Not a conspiracy issue

[gnieboer]

This isn't a military-industrial complex conspiracy issue, nor exploiting the rest of the world.

It highlights that 'national security' of any country is much more complicated than days gone by. The 'military' can no longer guarantee security by having lots of ships and planes etc. A hacker taking out the electrical grid certainly is a threat to national security, but not a threat that can be fended off by the military.

Why not? Because as most here would know, to do that would require military 'jurisdiction' over every network node and server and firewall defending something deemed 'important'.

Since despite general cynicism on the topic, the US still is one of the most free societies on the planet, they clearly would despise such an option. So instead working together as a team makes just way too much sense.

The concerning side is valid as well... giving the same dingbats that can't secure a basic firewall the responsibility for securing -actual- classified intelligence should worry us all as well.

Of course the answer is halfway, companies need to beef up their controls and the government then needs to share. We're all in this together. And yes, in this 'new' global economy, I mean everyone, but just those pesky Americans...

How to make America safer

[toby]

Stop doing what made you a target in the first place. This means, inconveniently, undoing:

• 50 years of foreign policy prior to "9/11";
• Doubly so, the embarrassing eight years since "9/11".

Good luck.