Cyber Storm: Securing Cyber Space

More than 1,100 cybersecurity experts in both the public and private sector gathered in D.C. this week for the biannual Cyber Storm V event, a cybersecurity simulation testing the participants’ ability to detect and respond to all types of cyber-attacks.  The simulation, run by the Department of Homeland Security, uses real world scenarios such as mock malware attacks to test “human response and coordination” rather than solely the technical skills of those participating. As Gregory Touhill, the DHS deputy assistant secretary in charge of cyber and communication explains, “We’re looking to find the failure points, to raise the bar in every scenario. Cybersecurity is all about risk. It’s not the technology; the technology is going to change.” Due to the increasing number of cyber attacks and data breaches on key industries from retail and healthcare to the government’s Office of Personnel Management, putting together some of the best minds in the cybersecurity field can help stimulate thought in the hopes to tackle this ever-increasing problem.