Crossroads Blog | Institute National Security and Counterterrorism

cyber attack, Cybersecurity, Russia

US to launch cyberattack against Russia; CIA Director comments on ‘unprecedented’ cyber threats; Weaknesses in Aviation Systems

  • Obama administration asks CIA to prepare revenge cyber attack against Russia (Independent): Significant media coverage in recent days has been devoted to the potential U.S. response to Russia’s election hacks, including an article from Independent.  President Obama has asked the agency to explore potential options for a response attack, the article says.  Vice President Biden, according to the article, said that the attack would come at a time the U.S. felt was best, and was meant to “send a message” to the Kremlin.  The article suggests that that the CIA has already begun the operation, and has information that would “embarrass” the Russian government.  The full article can be found here.
  • CIA director: US faces ‘unprecedented’ cyber threats (Fox Atlanta):   The director of the CIA addressed current cyber threats to the U.S. at a cyber summit in Augusta, GA where the U.S. Army Cyber Command is located.  A recent article from Fox 5 in Atlanta discussed John Brennan’s comments, which included that the cyber threats to the U.S. are “unprecedented.”  According to the article, federal agencies were involved in 640,000 cyber incidents in fiscal year 2014 alone.  The article also said that Brennan stressed the importance of public-private relationships.  More information on the conference can be found here, and the text of the article can be seen here.
  • Aviation Officials Step Up Cybersecurity Checks of Older Messaging System (WSJ): An article by the Wall Street Journal highlights the potential threat of outdated messaging systems in airplanes.  While the ACARS system doesn’t pose a threat that could immediately imperil flights, the article says, officials throughout Europe and the United States are looking to eradicate the venerability.  The decades old system lacks many of the security features that exist today, and airlines are trying to update them.  This system reflects a growing trend in commercial aviation to address the potential cyber threats that exist throughout the industry, the WSJ reported.  The full text of the article can be found here.

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