You're watching...
Former National Cybersecurity Center director Rod Beckstrom on whether we are prepared to protect ourselves against cybercrime.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Today all this week markets now taking in depth look at these cyber threat to your money your business and your investments and we kick off this series with -- -- -- Joining us live today from the Middle East do -- via Skype is a former CEO and I can't huge non -- that's dedicated to keeping the Internet.
Secure also the former director of the national cyber security center was in charge of our nation's cyber defenses so.
Knows more about this than just about anyone else's book is called the starfish and the -- so it's great to have -- On with this I am gonna start most general terms that will work throughout the week to be more specific on this but when people come up to you.
You know knowing your background and they just say that I'm here -- one more about these cyber threats one that was just reported on by Shibani and the others are we prepared what your answer.
Yes it is no need -- that was designed for openness flexibility and information sharing and there's many more of that going on and we really -- say.
But the reality is if you're connected to -- vulnerable and it she did share these stories you're talking about that -- Technology firms in the world being act and our guys are good.
-- -- the other reality is if you're connected you're vulnerable other steps that we all can take today improve our position and this is just one of the greatest global challenges that we're gonna -- -- the coming few decades so how are we dealing.
How would you grade -- specifically.
Us here in the United States in terms of -- Being on that road to being prepared.
Certain law yell into the United States has -- evidently isn't very sophisticated in its in its capabilities button below me here.
Is that cyber defense.
There's about a thousand times more difficult than cyber offensive to what hackers do when they -- your machines.
We're trying to break in -- corporate networks sell.
Meet -- the advantage of really gonna hackers at this point and so all the US has some terrific skills some phenomenal skills.
That doesn't make it any easier for all us to protect our networks and and our system.
I don't wanna ask -- a Lama in a moment how we how we kind of make progress and do things -- we're not doing.
A little bit better but I'm also very very curious about what we should be most concerned about because.
In the news lately has been the this story about the Chinese military -- have that we've had stories about the uranium.
-- government and or military about the Russian government but we also have.
-- you know stories about terrorist networks and then finally we have we get stories from time to time such as lone wolf hackers.
So in the order of importance how should we rank those in terms of what we should be most concerned about.
Share you know admit that the lone wolf Packers aren't aren't not the lesser threat overall.
A criminal networks are activist type of network for the next global.
Then that been a criminal networks -- that terrorist networks would -- would be the next global and then the highest level of -- And capabilities as you pointed out its state actors.
State actors have tremendous resource -- a lot of capabilities.
And I can really are recap let her get the information they wanna -- China's been mentioned I mentioned Iran and Russia and in the United States itself in terms of -- this stocks have virus that gets mentioned obviously -- capability along with the Israelis.
They are missing anybody in their by the way other other countries that are real big players in this and.
You know if it didn't look at CSI I think shared I think the UK it's also quite a sophisticated player but I tell you you've named most of the most the major party.
There are incidentally it's estimated 100 countries.
That are investing in cyber -- capability that's that's quite a large number.
OK so to get back to the original point about what we should do about this what should the role and you played a part in this in terms of working for the government what should the role.
Of the US government be in protecting its people from the cyber attack should it be in mandating that company says is being discussed.
I do more on their own putting more rules in place should be a direct role whether it's the government agencies and or the military getting involved what's the role of government.
Yeah you know I think we'll be really careful here I think that the government has some bad as I add had to -- the polite but it cannot secure all the networks and devices inside this country anymore they can secure all the roads you know it's tragic that people buy -- -- highways every day.
And people are gonna get -- every day on the Internet self government can come up with -- guidelines good regulation.
I think -- the recent executive order from the White House is very good bodily very balanced and it focuses on getting the government to do more information sharing -- corporations.
And organized more activities what the the vertical sectors such as banking.
Industries -- chemical industry that Sadr.
That's I think we're governed should be point now military has a role but that's really you know overseas and and engaged in now warfare and and international issues.
Start finally rot and joy and you're right but the banks we've had some of the stories we -- done so many about the banks you're just from last few weeks months you have final thing is.
For use somebody who's an expert in the field as opposed to those of us are not just trying to play catch up in a really sort of get interest in it because we've heard so much more about it.
What keeps you up at night what -- really thinking about now maybe it's something is not the headlines are not what does scare us.
Too much but what what keeps you up at night today.
-- you know I think we -- worry about you know the skate attacks -- the industry tax thing that if they got the power grid things that can adopt.
A fact chemical industry petrochemical you know the major attack in Saudi Arabia on their largest oil company aramco and August -- have been -- Very concerning attacks up -- it does kind of angered those those kind of doomsday are very concerning scenarios that we -- dog and I gotta tell you you know.
You know we're all learning here you know no -- truly that adamant that the final expert on this topic because it's just so complex evolving every day.
I think our teenagers author's note -- a lot more about this stuff than we do and aren't an Air Canada hackers that are that are used in and getting hired.
Yes maybe you have made those of the people ask -- -- more -- more rod veterans of former.
Head of the national cyber security senator great start first serious we'll continue throughout the week thanks lot for joining us today.
Thank you pretty imitation now's your report on the cyber threats throughout the week in this series will also BST some our regular market.
