Redistan Cyberattack

Institution of Learning

Cyber Policy

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Redistan Cyber Attack

The botnet type of cyber-attack that targeted the US defense firm is espionage. The attack did not result in any physical damage but compromised significant technological secrets about a new surveillance system. The features of the damage relate to espionage where a perpetrator gains unauthorized access to confidential information of government or another individual. The absence of tangible physical damage and casualties in the attack supports the decision that it was espionage^[1].

Response of the US

         The first quick response of the US in the espionage attack is to identify the sources of the attack. They should shut down the system to audit the level of damage and prevent the hackers from accessing more information. After the identification of the attackers, they should impose financial sanctions against the perpetrators such as freezing their assets or prohibiting commercial trade.  They should then audit their systems to detect the vulnerabilities to prevent future attacks^[2].

US Defense Against Cyber Attacks

The severity of the cyber-attacks on the US presents serious challenges, especially when the criminals stop operations and attack the secrets of the homeland security. The attacks target key private and public institutions, where most workers have limited information about cyber security. There is also significant difficulty with interagency information sharing. The private companies and informational infrastructures have weak protection against cyber-attacks. For the US to prevent future attacks such as espionage, it has to take the following measures.

Increase Public Awareness

Cybercrimes often occur due to people’s ignorance about how to detect the attacks and take appropriate action to combat their negative effects.  The national government should partner with educators to conduct public awareness of the risks associated with online activities and educate them how to combat the threats^[3]. The officials of the cyber security should implement the public awareness strategy to educate the community about the contents of the policy. The public awareness will ensure that the civil liberties, the private sector, local governments and the general public endorses, supports and participates in the implementation of the cyber security policies^[4]. The education improves the people’s knowledge on how to detect a cyber-threat and enhance digital safety. The contents of the public awareness programs should include education on cyber predators, responsible use of the Internet and cyber ethics. The awareness should focus on educating children and youths about cyber security since they grow up with technology.