Cyber Security

Cyber-attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure pose a tremendous threat to the American population and government. For years, the threat has grown in the form of state-sponsored cyber attackers and threats via data mining and malware coming through applications and social media. The current United States infrastructure is not sufficiently prepared or resilient to withstand attacks that can cause damage to critical segments of the medical, financial, power, and governmental sectors. Experts suggest that radical updates to infrastructure and improved security practices are required to prepare adequately for state-sponsored attacks or undermining from near-peer rivals.

Based on the rules Russia has proposed that oppose the Budapest Convention, the United States should continue to support the international collaboration within the Budapest Convention. The United States currently is involved in maintaining the balance between upholding its own cybersecurity laws and helping other countries uphold theirs. By keeping the Budapest Convention in place, the United States would continue to enforce its cybersecurity laws, which are necessary as it is one of the countries most affected by cybercrime (Peters). Maintaining these laws would also take away power from Russia and China, as they would allow continued access to international networks for monitoring and criminal activity tracking purposes. Russia and China both want to take more domestic control over Internet access by censoring and cutting off access to their Internet, and such policies threaten U.S. national security (Morgan, Ayres).

On October 25, 2012, The New York Times published an eye-opening report on an extensive, billion-dollar business empire constructed by relatives of China’s prime minister, Wen Jiabao. Three months later, the Times revealed it had been undergoing intense cyber attacks even before the report was publicly released. Cooperating with AT&T, the FBI, and a leading cybersecurity firm, the Times pinned the digital break-ins on Chinese hackers, adding that the Chinese military was likely involved.

America’s cyber security situation is in disarray. Ironically, the most technologically advanced country in the world is struggling mightily to protect itself and its interests in the digital domain. Recent events show that the pervasiveness and complexity of cyber threats are growing. At the same time, American cyber security efforts have been severely restricted by domestic and foreign political pressures. These pressures have left the United States more vulnerable to cyber attacks. If these trends continue, America will face increasingly serious threats from state actors and even more serious threats from non-state actors like terrorists.