Scott Nicholas
George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security has released a report that includes recommendations on how the U.S. government can participate in cybersecurity efforts and work with private sector companies.
GW Today said Monday the report covered assessments of the legal, policy and technological contexts as well as defense measures that impact the private sector cybersecurity in a push to bolster U.S. efforts against evolving threats.
Report authors said the government does not possess sufficient resources to fully defend the private sector, which may compromise businesses and lead to risks in national security, economic vitality and privacy.
“Businesses cannot simply firewall their way out of this problem and must instead have greater leeway to more proactively respond to cyber threats,” said Frank Cilluffo, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security director.
GW’s report recommended public and private sectors to bolster collaborations, utilize tools to deter and disrupt cyber threats, and amend the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Cybersecurity Act of 2015 to aid low- and medium-impact active defense measures.
Recommendations also included the development of C-suite level operational templates for the cyber strategy and incident response protocols.
The report also noted that suggestions from an Active Defense Task Force, composed of public and private sector leaders in technology, security, privacy and law, have supported efforts to chart a constructive course from law, technology and policy terrains that relate to private sector active defense.
