Eight members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) have resigned just prior to issuing a report on the State of Critical Infrastructure in the US which shows that while there are ways to secure critical infrastructure, the Government is falling short of using existing tools effectively. NIAC was established in 2001 to advise the President on the security and resilience of our critical infrastructure sectors and their functional systems, physical assets and cyber networks. Bob Noel, Director of Strategic Relationships and Marketing at Plixer commented below.
Bob Noel, Director of Strategic Relationships and Marketing at Plixer:
“The departure of 8 individuals from the 28-member council is very concerning. Although several reasons for these departures were given, including moral indignation, the recent NIAC report on cybersecurity readiness is highly critical of the administration, citing that “…Today, we’re falling short.” The report goes on to say that “There is a narrow and fleeting window of opportunity before a watershed – 9/11-level cyberattack, to organize effectively and take bold action.” The departure of these 8 individuals will force a decision regarding the solvency of the council, as currently it is set to end on September 30th, 2017 unless extended by the President. Our critical infrastructure is a highly unique threat surface and based on the recent attacks in the Ukraine, one that is clearly a focus of cybercriminals. The recent NIAC report made 11 specific recommendations, which according to the report, appear to be falling on deaf ears.”
