By
By Kim Zetter At Threat Level.
Excerpts:
Lockheed Martin and Boeing have decided
the next cash cow is cyber defense.
According to Bloomberg, both companies, "eager to capture a share of a market that may reach $11 billion in 2013," have formed new business units to attract money that the U.S. government will be spending to secure U.S. government computers and, no doubt, to break the security of enemy computer systems.
The companies awoke to the money-making opportunity after President Bush signed a National Security Directive in January, which is commonly known as the Comprehensive National Cyber Security Initiative and is estimated will cost $30 billion or more to implement.
The initiative, which includes the creation of a National Cyber Security Center to be run by the Department of Homeland Security, has been
criticized for its secrecy and the role that intelligence agencies may play in the plan. Critics fear the plan is a cover to give U.S. intelligence agencies the unfettered ability to monitor all traffic that passes through the internet.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) also got in the game, as has Raytheon -- though a Raytheon spokesman wanted Bloomberg to understand that it had been thinking about cashing in on cyber security longer than Boeing and Lockheed Martin were thinking about it. The company acquired its computer security expertise the old-fashioned way -- by buying it. Raytheon purchased three computer network security firms (Oakley Networks, SI Government Solutions and Telemus Solutions Inc) in the last 18 months and says it plans to add 300 more security engineers to its stable in 2009.
Lockheed hasn't always been so focused on cyber security or had much of a track record in keeping its own systems secure.
Readers may recall that the defense contractor was the victim of a major cyber intrusion in 2003 dubbed Titan Rain. Both Lockheed and the Sandia National Laboratory that Lockheed managed were hit in the attack, resulting in thieves making off with Lockheed schematics and other proprietary and sensitive documents.
SOURCE:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This ties in with a conversation I had with a Government Anthropologist recently.
Back to that in a min.
The skills that are needed in the Cyber Theater of War
are not more engineers, or PC security experts.
The
"abilities" need to be developed.
A kind of cross between a case/core officer and an hacker.
While current investigations rely mostly on 20th century methods,
planting bugs in buildings, physical surveillance, and teams of agents
workig a case, has no doubt proved very successful, they are limiting.
Internet Surveillance can be a tremendous force multiplier.
The ability to a dozen cases with the same number of personal.
To be clear some times there is nothing better than eyeballs on
physical surveillance, and tailing some one on foot.
However tailing some one on the Internet is a huge force
multiplier.
The ability to track where someone goes on the Internet
whom they talk to, what they are looking at allows one
agent to track maybe 20 people at a time.
The ability to develop and test hypothesis, to gather
paradigm Intel, and evidence requires abilities that are in short
supply.
OSINT and
Gray Intel are not something engineers
can do. Not even hackers can do it well, they can add some depth
and stronger flavors, but it is a completely NEW skill set.
Paradigm Intel can see into a completely closed cell.
Back to the discussion with other anthropologists;
I have gotten great feed back from about the Intel
on our site but they have been unable to see how
our work is anthropology.
Because of OPSEC I can not talk plainly here.
But if I was studying a group in Africa
I would be writing about their culture
and how they see the world and relate to it
maybe about the tools they use and how they use them.
For 7 years I studied the culture of the Internet
That includes the people that use it and the Internet culture
and the hardware.
The study of how humans interface with the WWW.
After 911, my research took on a special focus.
Security Anthropology, After reading about
the Jahiddie wanta be Younis Tsouli,
aka Irhaby007, I realized we were in a position to surveil these
people and had a special knowledge about
their WWW cultures and how they interact
with the hardware.
An in depth knowledge about what security
myths they believe, that could be take advantage of
in a cyber war footing.
While most of our research isn't on display,
the results of applied Anthropology using
the data is evident.
Since then we have developed the skills
for www surveillance, tracking and tracing
world wide.
Expanded our ability's to peer into closed cells.
Developed automated individually baited traps,
And methods for testing for a terrorist disposition.
Our Bot Surveillance Units provide a rich
flood of raw Intel for our G2 section.
And basis for testing Paradigm Intel.
Our research is providing a path for
5 th generation warfare on the WWW.
The future will provide a seamless
interface for pumping out actionable
Intel out to Military forces in the field
in real time and Investigative Intel to
Intelligence agencys for covert operations.
The ability to dominate Cyber space on
demand, just like the Air Force dominates
air space on demand is the Goal.
Air cover provides overwatch for our Troops.
Cyber cover can povide overwatch for our
Troops in the same way, just a different
dominion.
Currently Cyber operations are in its
infancy, and there is a huge influx
of funds for its development.
The big money is going to those
that can provide the abilities for
cyber domination on demand,
produce actionable intel and
Investigative Intel, evidence and peer
into closed cells and
bring blunt force trauma
to the enemy on the WWW
via the Military.
We have displayed many of
these abilities in public
and many more in private.
The Internet needs to be understood
as a powerful venue to attack the enemy's
soft under belly,
not as something to be feared.
The new underlying paradigm
is "Info War".
USA Military and Government have been behind
the curve in Info Warfare curve.
The Civilian sector has been leading the way.
Israel has started one of the best ops we have seen
in the current bid to stop Hamas missiles.
In the Lebanon war Israel did billions of dollars
of damages, and had few fatalities.
But were viewed as the losers.
The Internet paradigm allows for one
to win the physical war and be viewed
as the looser through an effective Info WAR.
There by encouraging the Enemy.
The Government is throwing money at the
problem but so far not in the right direction.
Engineers are needed but won't provide
the solutions or victories.
Anthropologist might.
Gerald
Some of my favorite Posts, which were your favs.
Cyber Side arms.
Africas natural protection.Terrorist finance Cell in USATerrorist cell active in USACorporate ProtectionInside view of IATTBot surveillance Units
Our cyber Battalion.More hot posts
Suggested Paradigms and
Needed Cyber initiatives.
By Gerald; Internet Anthropologist
http://warintel.blogspot.com/2009/05/cyber-forces-authority.html
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Labels: Defense Contractors See $$$ in Cyber Security