Homework answers / question archive / Part 1: National Security Strategy and Cybersecurity   After reading the National Security Strategy (2017), comment on the following

Part 1: National Security Strategy and Cybersecurity   After reading the National Security Strategy (2017), comment on the following

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Part 1: National Security Strategy and Cybersecurity

 

After reading the National Security Strategy (2017), comment on the following.

 

• Should the United States create a separate cybersecurity strategy to be published alongside the National Security Strategy (NSS), or do you feel the NSS is sufficient? Why or why not?

 

• Consider your answer in the context of the original National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace (2003). What is not adequately addressed in the National Security Strategy (2017) as it relates to cybersecurity?

 

Part 2: Public/Private Partnerships

 

After reading the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, address the private/public partnership with the DHS National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), arguably the most important aspect of the act. The Cybersecurity Act of 2015 allows for private and public sharing of cybersecurity threat information.

 

• What should the DHS NCCIC (public) share with private sector organizations? What type of threat information would enable private organizations to better secure their networks?

 

• On the flip side, what should private organizations share with the NCCIC? As it is written, private organization sharing is completely voluntary. Should this be mandatory? If so, what are the implications to the customers' private data?

 

• The government is not allowed to collect data on citizens. How should the act be updated to make it better and more value-added for the public-private partnership regarding cybersecurity?

 

Part 3: Private Sector Organizations

 

Review the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Commission (EU). It includes many provisions and arguably strengthens data protection for individuals within the EU. It even includes the right to be forgotten. The United States does not have a similar regulation. There have only been a few regulations implemented related to US citizens' private data, which include medical and financial industries. Some argue implementing regulation such as GDPR in the United States would hinder innovation. They contend that the End User License Agreements (EULA) provide sufficient protections and allow the citizens to make the choice of what is and is not shared.

 

• As a private sector organization, do you believe that an equivalent to GDPR should be implemented in the United States?

 

Part 4: Protecting Critical Infrastructure and the Homeland

 

The Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Strategy 2018 discusses the protection of critical infrastructure and the homeland. What does that mean to private organizations such as yours? If most critical infrastructure in the United States is owned by the private sector, what responsibility does the DoD have in this regard? Some would argue US laws are outdated and thus the DoD has little authority to assist. Others would argue US laws were purposely established such that the private sector would defend itself and not need assistance from the military. Obviously, for the DoD to assist, it would need the private organizations' data. Said another way, the DoD would need your data as a private citizen/customer of that organization. Those that believe our laws need to be updated argue giving up privacy for protection is legitimate. Others will argue that we should not give private information of citizens to the government for any reason.

 

• As a citizen, would you feel comfortable with this? As a private organization, would you feel comfortable giving information that may contain your customers' private data to the DoD?

 

• Is there a third solution (middle ground) you would propose that enables privacy but also enables cybersecurity?

 

Part 5: Cybersecurity Technologies

 

The authors of the National Security Strategy (NSS) are looking to address technologies that will revolutionize cybersecurity. They believe that blockchain technology is a revolutionary technology that can significantly improve cybersecurity.

 

• What would be your recommendation for how the NSS should incorporate this technology to the public?

 

• Propose exactly what you believe should be written in the NSS. Specifically, explain the blockchain technology in layman's terms to nontechnical people that may be reading the NSS, give examples of how it could be used to provide revolutionary cybersecurity, include examples of how it is being used to provide cybersecurity solutions, and discuss what, if any policies or laws should be established to mandate its use in specific industries.

 

Part 6: Ethics in Cybersecurity

 

Ethical issues are at the core of what we do as cybersecurity professionals. Think of the example of a cyber defender working in a hospital. They are charged with securing the network, medical devices, and protecting sensitive personal health information from unauthorized disclosure. They are not only protecting patient privacy but their health and perhaps even their lives. Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability - the C-I-A triad - and many other cybersecurity practices are increasingly at play in protecting citizens in all walks of life and in all sectors. Thus, acting in an ethical manner, is one of the hallmarks of a cybersecurity professional.

 

• What are the ethically significant harms that may result from mass surveillance (including by government and corporations)?

 

• What are the ethically significant harms that may result from emerging technologies such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning?