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The 'Anti-Aircraft Weapon' for Cyber Attacks

by Terrence O'Brien on October 7, 2008 at 09:47 AM

Einstein Program
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the target of public scorn following the government's bungled reaction to Hurricane Katrina, was back in front of the press recently discussing his plans to secure government computers against cyber attacks.

The Einstein program, started in March, was one of the first major cyber security initiatives tackled by the U.S. government. The first step taken was to limit the number of open portals to government networks -- by shutting doors, Einstein is able to limit the number of potential vulnerabilities. Version two, in testing right now, adds an intrusion detection layer which can alert IT personnel to attacks as they happen, allowing for real time reaction.

Chertoff took questions over the weekend about Einstein 3.0 which he described in only vague terms as being "like an anti-aircraft weapon, shoot[ing] down an attack before it hits its target." Chertoff argued that government IT security must be more aggressive in preventing and tracking cyber attacks "now rather than wait until there's a huge catastrophe."

Chertoff did note that the government was deliberately moving slowly to avoid upsetting the private security, industry which it plans to work with to help shore up the defenses of businesses. [From: CNN]

Tags: einstein, government, homeland security, HomelandSecurity, safety, security

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