The Cyber Attack: Obama Administration

Towards the end of 2013, OPM began to upgrade their cybersecurity polices. They added new tools and capabilities to various networks throughout their agency. The results of the new security upgrades, OPM was able to identify two different cybersecurity incidents on its systems. May of 2015 OPM discovered that their system has been under attack. Information such as background investigation records of current, former, and prospective Federal employees and contractors were stolen. After an extensive forensics investigation, it was determined that the types of information in these records include identification information such as Social Security Numbers, educational history, employment history, information about immediate family and other personal

The government and major companies have frequently leaked and misused the public’s information. For example, in Ted Koppel’s 2005 article on “Take My Privacy, Please!”, he mentions how Bank of America lost personal information on about 1.2 million federal government employees, including some senators. LexisNexis unintentionally gave outsiders access to personal files on over 310,000 people. Time Warner

Most ISIS practice customs from the 7th century, but the methods they use to fight a war are 21st century techniques. ISIS have an advanced computer network that uses social media to attract terrorists worldwide to help them attack countries like the United States. Many countries have been victims of cyber attacks but may not realize it until long after the security breach occurred.

The Obama administration on Thursday revealed that 21.5 million people were swept up in a colossal breach of government computer systems that was far more damaging than initially thought, resulting in the theft of a vast trove of personal information, including Social Security numbers and some

“The number of cyber incidents reported by federal agencies increased in fiscal year 2013 significantly over the prior 3 years. An effective response to a cyber incident is essential to minimize any damage that might be caused.”

The United States is under attack. To be exact, the nation’s power grid is under attack in the form of cyber warfare. On May 21st, 2013 Congressmen Edward J. Markey and Henry A Waxman published a report that provided the findings from information that they had requested from over 150 utility companies (of which 60% responded). More than a dozen utilities reported “daily, constant, or frequent attempted cyber-attacks” (Markey & Waxman) with one utility reporting that they have about 10,000 attempted attacks per month!

Several occasions former President Barak Obama displays his sensitivity with a single tear during emotional speeches. President Obama’s tears demonstrat vulnerability and sensitivity not often seen in world leaders. Brene Brown discusses vulnerability in her 2011 Ted talk in Huston Texas. Vulnerability is essential to form connections with other humans. Furthermore, without the ability have an open heart a person cannot be truly authentic. President Obama demonstrates sensitivity and the ability to connect with his message and the audience. Dewar, Adamson, Smith, Surfleet, & King (2014) define compassion as a deep awareness of the suffering of another being and the desire to elevate it.

President Obama claims that, “America has been at war with terrorists, since al Qaeda killed nearly three thousand Americans on 9/11” in “The Address to the Nation on Terrorism” given on December 6, 2015. Shortly before this speech, fourteen Americans were brutally killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino. President Obama addresses the nation to describe the effects of terrorism and argue that if American allies work together, terrorism can be beaten. Obama supports his argument with the use of pathos, lists, and diction. The authors purpose is to propose a plan to defeat terrorism. The author writes in an inspiring tone for fellow Americans, American allies and terrorist leaders.

The Secure360 and UMSA, a team made up of professionals in the security and risk management industries, explains how hackers could be anywhere and everywhere. Secure360 and UMSA stated that in April, the US government admitted in an alert that a group of malicious cyber hackers known as APT6 (Advanced Persistent Threat 6), had been within the government systems for years and that they’re likely still there. This brought the attention that foreign governments are still successfully hacking and stealing highly sensitive data about several millions of government workers and spies. In addition, Secure360 and UMSA wrote, “If these hackers were able to sit within the government systems for over 4 years without being caught, it’s a little unsettling

The government needs to take greater steps to protect and secure government information from foreign cyber-attacks.

The Federal Government needs to create information systems which are more effective shielded systems to protect their assets and resources at home. The foundation of any mandated cybersecurity strategies that secure our nation national security must incorporate worldwide or state local threats whether targeted toward the federal government or the private sector forces. The OPM breach highlighted the insufficient and inconsistence security approaches the federal government has already used in modernizing the existing cybersecurity policies. There is a requirement for the United States government to institute polices that would incorporate and implement new government cybersecurity structures and centralized the protection of their assets to avert future breaches (Source). Examining the inadequacies in the current national cybersecurity policies and regulations is disappointing as OPM choice to implement these mechanisms and the current authoritative propositions to cybersecurity must change immediately. It was reported that OPM only spent $2 million in 2015 to avert pernicious digital assaults, while the Department of Agriculture spent $39 million. The Department of Commerce, Department of Education, and Department of Labor likewise invested more money in cybersecurity resources than the Office of Personnel Management. The Small Business Administration devoted a similar amount into cybersecurity to recognizing, examining, and alleviate any cyber breaches as OPM, however

Most nations today fear terror attacks that include bombing use of reinforcements like machines guns and other firearms. This is because terror attacks most of the times leave many people dead and others disabled while others are left without families. However, there is another attack today in many nations that can be destructive like a terror attack and this is the cyber-attack and threats. Cyber-attacks can be responsible for large mass destructions by making all systems connected to cyber networks fail to work (Rhodes 20). An example is the Morris worm that affected the world cyber infrastructures and caused them to slow down to a position of being impractical. Therefore, as a result of these cyber-attacks resources are being established and designed to help counter the attacks.

From the advent of the Internet, there came with it the opportunity for any of its users to have access to any information they seeked right at their fingertips. With this access; entertainment, market opportunities, educational information, productivity, and global communication were able to grow and flourish, however with these gains seen came with it the weakening of the once secure national strength seen in nations. In the last two decades cyberspace has been defined as the 'fifth battleground’ for international relations, with the aspects of cyber war, cyber terrorism, and cybercrime as some of the largest threats to the security of the national and international community. (Popović, 2013) With this ‘fifth battleground’ of the cyberspace thrown into the international battlegrounds of old, its effectiveness and effect on the both the modern state and the international bodies of the world, posing the question of how will this increased accessibility to the cyberspace will affect national security in the coming years?

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the article Cyber Threats to Mobile Phones, phones are now sharing hardware and software similar to a PC and becoming each time more like a PC. Therefore, the risks of being hacked are increasing, allowing hackers to attack mobile devices the same way as if they were doing it with a regular PC. Personal and professional information are more often stored on mobile devices therefore it is imperative to have our data secure. Security solutions for mobile devices are not as broad or high-tech as those for PCs. The majority of mobile security relies on the proper use and smart choices that the user makes on a daily basis to be protected against cyber attacks. Even the most careful person can be attacked but the possibilities of that happening are less when you are proactive.

There are several different forms of cyber weapons, all of which can be used for either an attack or espionage. There are principally five common practices. The first of three attacks that will be examined is spoofing.