Industry leaders reacted below on the news that Israel says its government websites were hit by cyber attack.
Industry leaders reacted below on the news that Israel says its government websites were hit by cyber attack.
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Targeting government websites that provide consumer services is a key tactic for disrupting a nation\’s economic and social infrastructure. From tracking COVID vaccinations and paying fines, government websites serve as centralized resources for consumers. When these websites go down it instills uncertainty and creates an environment where disinformation can propagate. In addition, as consumers scramble to learn more, they become more susceptible to scams, data theft and inadvertent exposure to ransomware and other harmful programs. Today it was a DDoS, tomorrow it could be defacement or furtive phishing of valuable consumer information. Promoting digital safety for consumers is more than a moral obligation, it is one of the biggest misses in cybersecurity.
Today’s broad cyber attack is just another Tuesday in Israel, for the most part. Israel’s approach to cybersecurity offers some solid takeaways the U.S. government could and and should embrace. First, Israel has developed cybersecurity public policy that is both robust and nimble. They have prioritized government funding specific to cyber attack mitigation, preparation and response to protect against other governments or private sector incidents. Israel has also embraced an attacker-oriented response strategy and has developed a practice for holding people and organizations accountable with both national and international law enforcement. Though we could debate what an appropriate response should look and feel like, I believe we can all agree that having a cyber response plan and accountability plan to protect U.S. critical infrastructure, government networks and communication systems should be prioritized.