Cybersecurity | Department of Homeland Security

Post 1 

Hello Mique,

The main mission and goal of DHS are to provide domestic cybersecurity threats. However, achieving such a state of resilience, recovery, response, and prevention requires collaboration beyond the domestic boundaries. I like how you argued that globalization and digital innovations have accelerated how global cyberattacks indirectly or directly influence US DHS. International collaboration discovered remotely controlled bombs shipped from Yemen on 27 th October 2010 (Givens et al., 2018). Diplomatic agencies from German, UAE, UK, Yemen, and the US discovered the threat before it reached the domestic borders. Therefore, border security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity require a global perspective.

You argued that Homeland Security lacks the required sets of technological skills to mitigate cybersecurity, and I could not agree more. The increased risks in the digital cloud show the incompetence in DHS. However, with the growing need for protecting the nation and improving the defense level, DHS agents team up with high-tech companies like Apple, sharing common data-protection objectives (DiFranza, 2021). Such partnerships have become pervasive due to technological advancements.

References 

DiFranza, A. (2021, 30th April). Homeland Security & Cybersecurity: Exploring the Intersection . Northeastern University Graduate Programs. https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/homeland-security-cybersecurity-intersection/.

Givens, A., Busch, N., & Bersin, A. (2018). Going Global: The International Dimensions of US Homeland Security Policy. Journal of Strategic Security , 11 (3), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.11.3.1689

Post 2 

Hey Sue Ann,

I agree with you that the evolving ransomware is a type of malware programmed to encrypt files on digital devices and render systems and files depending on the devices unusable. Malicious artists and groups then ask for a ransom to decrypt the malware. Ransomware groups mostly threaten and target to leak or sell authentication information and files if they do not receive payment (Homeland Security, 2021). I like how you expressed the Darkside Ransomware and the attack performed. Ransom attacks have become increasingly prevalent in recent years targeting critical infrastructure systems and government entities. Ransomware actors continue to evolve and adjust their malicious tactics. Meanwhile, CISA analysts promote awareness about ransomware tactics, attacks, procedures, and techniques (CISA, 2021). CISA unveiled a risk mitigation campaign to instigate measures and raise awareness to combat the increased threat (CISA, 2021). This campaign, launched on 21st January, will support K-12 educational centers and COVID-19 response institutions to improve awareness about combating ransomware to organize data protection practice.

References 

CISA. (2021, 16th February). CISA Launches Campaign to Reduce the Risk of Ransomware . Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. https://www.cisa.gov/news/2021/01/21/cisa-launches-campaign-reduce-risk-ransomware.

CISA. (2021, 19th May). Update to CISA-FBI Joint Cybersecurity Advisory on DarkSide Ransomware . Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-activity/2021/05/19/update-cisa-fbi-joint-cybersecurity-advisory-darkside-ransomware.

Homeland Security. (2021). Ransomware Guidance and Resources . Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. https://www.cisa.gov/ransomware.

Post 3 

Hi Kyle,

Digital infrastructure and cyberspace face a broad range of challenges and risks from cyber hazards and threats. Sophisticated cybercrimes exploit digital vulnerabilities to disrupt, steal and destroy information, files, essential services, and money. You explicitly discussed the role of CISA in fighting cybercrimes and the challenges they face in mitigating malicious acts. I agree that with the advancements in technology, the government still has faced difficulties in improving cybersecurity. Several factors like difficulties in reducing vulnerabilities in complex infrastructure and the connections between physical and cyberspace make cybersecurity difficult to improve and develop (Hussain et al., 2020). However, the government can mitigate cybercrimes and improve cybersecurity using appropriate technical security approaches (Ani et al., 2016). It is necessary to engage in technological capabilities to design network architectures that can protect cyberspace from sabotage. A study by Borky and Bradley highlights factors that lead to failure or success of digital systems that include the competence of policies observed during system implementation, correct maintenance and operation of the system, and the environment where the digital technologies operate (Borky & Bradley, 2018). Therefore, the government needs to encourage evaluation of cyberspace's systems and upgrade cyberspace to provide reliable security.

References 

Ani, U. P., He, H. (M., & Tiwari, A. (2016). Review of cybersecurity issues in critical industrial infrastructure: manufacturing in perspective. Journal of Cyber Security Technology , 1 (1), 32–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/23742917.2016.1252211 .

Borky, J. M., & Bradley, T. H. (2018). Protecting Information with Cybersecurity. Effective Model-Based Systems Engineering , 345–404. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95669-5_10 .

Hussain, A., Mohamed, A., & Razali, S. (2020). A Review on Cybersecurity. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Networking, Information Systems & Security , 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3386723.3387847 .

Post 4 

Instructor

Several organizations, including NICE and CISA, promote robust cybersecurity training, education, and labor development. The main goal for promoting the programs is to improve and produce a skilled and knowledgeable cybersecurity workforce. The government promotes educational, training, and hiring programs to produce digitally competent personnel (Homeland Security, 2021). The most critical component in improving cybersecurity involves skilled personnel to design the responses and defenses for the country. Therefore, CISA focuses on hiring candidates from various backgrounds, including risk assessment, cybersecurity, and infrastructure security. Former US president, Donald Trump, signed the CISA agency into law on 16 th November 2018 (Homeland Security, 2021). The agency elevates the missions established in building reliable and better security measures. CISA designs national programs to defend cybercrimes and collaborates with the government to deliver incident responses and cybersecurity tools to safeguard government networks. Ensuring that the government has skilled cybersecurity personnel is vital in preventing cyberattacks and maintaining networks and critical infrastructure programs. The DHS is financing educative programs to develop creative solutions to cybercrimes.

References 

Homeland Security. (2021, 1st March). Cybersecurity . Department of Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cybersecurity#:~:text=For%20cybersecurity%2C%20CISA's%20main%20focus,Exercises%2C%20and%20Cyber%20Safety%20information. 

Homeland Security. (2021, 18th May). Cybersecurity Competitions . Department of Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/cybersecurity-competitions .