Neel Mehta
Earlier this month, DNI Dennis Blair raised the issue of cybersecurity in his testimony before Congress on the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community. While the threats in cyberspace are only now coming into the common lexicon, James Lewis, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has long been cognizant of the threat.
Lewis led the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency and coauthored the report “Securing Cyberspace in the 44th Presidency,” which provided recommendations to president Obama for enhancing US cybersecurity efforts.
Recently, he was featured on Philadelphia Public Radio’s Fresh Air, where he discussed the threat of cyberterrorism.
During the interview, Lewis said that the high level of connectivity via the Internet provides “endless opportunities for mischief.”
In the near term, Lewis said that terrorists do not yet have the capabilities to launch an effective cyber attack. However, they will certainly acquire them within the next ten years. “It’s given terrorists a global presence,” Lewis said. “The possibilities are there. But everyone is going through the trade-offs.”
“We ought to expect something big to happen,” he said.
Lewis will speaking at a Potomac Officers Club event in March. Details can be found here.
