Communications of the ACM
We're Saved! Experts Show How to Fix U.s. Cybersecurity
The Truman National Security Project Saturday staged a large-scale simulation in Washington, DC, to determine whether the U.S. could enact legislation to address cyber vulnerabilities following a national crisis.
Credit: Ingrid Barrentine/JBLM PAO
The Truman National Security Project on Saturday in Washington, DC, conducted a large-scale simulation to gauge the ability of the United States to enact legislation to address cyber vulnerabilities following a national crisis. Military, cybersecurity, and political experts participated in the four-hour exercise, which demonstrated that Congress and the White House are theoretically capable of passing a cybersecurity bill with mandatory industry standards.
Truman program director Matt Rhoades says the event will help assess the effectiveness of the White House cybersecurity framework unveiled in February. As legislators and private industry grapple over whether cybersecurity rules should be mandatory and to what extent companies are liable for cyberincidents, Rhoades says a crisis will be necessary to motivate legislative action.
The simulation, set for April 4, 2015, involved a major cyberattack on two generators in Florida, resulting in a loss of power in two cities, multiple deaths, and millions of dollars lost. The simulated House and Senate narrowly passed a bill with mandatory cybersecurity provisions for industry, and the White House had to create a role for industry via a public-private working group.
As protecting infrastructure from cyberattack grows increasingly important, Rhoades says the legislative simulation aimed to show the quality of decisions made during a crisis.
From Defense One
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