Cyber terrorism AFCOM , RSA Conference 2010

Data centers tackling cyber terrorism

Typical IT shop unprepared, AFCOM says By Jon Brodkin, Network World

The data center is receiving more public scrutiny than ever before, with IT managers facing a range of challenges from making systems run more efficiently to protecting computers from cyber terrorism, says AFCOM chief executive Jill Eckhaus

The 30-year-old organization for data center managers is holding its twice-yearly Data Center World show from March 7-11 in Nashville, Tenn., where IT folks will learn about the most pressing issues facing data centers today and share their own experiences.

Gov't builds secret database to fight cyber-terrorism

Cyber terrorism is one of the topics Eckhaus is looking forward to examining further. AFCOM’s recent survey of more than 400 data center pros found that only one-third have included cyber terrorism in disaster recovery plans, only one-quarter have addressed cyber terrorism in policies and procedures manuals, and only one-fifth provide cyber terrorism employee training. These low numbers were recorded despite the fact that 61% of data center managers said they recognize cyber terrorism as a threat they need to address.

No data center manager is likely to ignore security, but AFCOM officials say they need to recognize that cyber terror poses a more serious threat than a typical hacker.

“A hacker might be a student just looking for a challenge,” Eckhaus says. “Cyber terrorists want to destroy the United States. That’s the difference.”

AFCOM will host two sessions on cyber terrorism during the conference. Unfortunately, in a bad economy companies that already have security plans “tend to say what we have is good enough,” Eckhaus says. “They’re really at the very beginning stages.”

Even beyond security, public scrutiny of data centers seems to be increasing, as the 24/7 business world expects computer systems that never fail or slow down. Eckhaus says this is both good and bad for data center managers, because the public is recognizing the important work they do, but also demanding more.

“This is a really unique time, because for the first time in history the data center is in the public eye,” Eckhaus says. “People are starting to understand how vital data centers are. We could not do business as usual without data centers.”

Corporate management is demanding that data centers run more efficiently, both to save money on power costs and to appear environmentally friendly in the public eye, Echuas notes. Going green is important, in part because providing enough power and cooling to data centers is becoming more difficult, she says. But the IT industry is “saturating” data center managers with the green buzzword, she says.

“It’s a buzzword that’s been around for a few years, because the data center sucks up so much energy,” Eckhaus says. “Corporate management is really looking down at the data center now and saying ‘what are you going to do.’”

Even as data centers strive to reduce power consumption, they must deal with the reality that demand for information services is growing. Storage needs are booming, as is global Internet traffic and use of mobile Internet devices, says Brian Lillie, who is CIO of co-location provider Equinix and the keynote speaker at the Data Center World conference.

FBI Director Promises Privacy, Information About Attacks To Breach Victim Organizations

Robert Mueller tells attendees FBI 'cannot act' if businesses don't report cyberattacks

Mar 05, 2010 | 07:55 AM

By Kelly Jackson Higgins
DarkReading

SAN FRANCISCO -- RSA Conference 2010 -- Organizations are typically hesitant to disclose cyberattacks to the FBI, and their disclosure is "the exception, not the rule," FBI director Robert Mueller told attendees here today in a keynote address.

Mueller said the bureau understands organizations' concerns about privacy and image when it comes to deciding whether to report a cyberattack to the authorities, but promised the FBI would provide more information-sharing and protection of victim organizations' privacy.

"We do not want you to feel victimized a second time by an investigation. And we know that putting on raid jackets, courting the media, and shutting down your systems is not the best way to get the job done," he said. "We will minimize the disruption to your business. We will safeguard your privacy and your data. Where necessary, we will seek protective orders to preserve trade secrets and business confidentiality. And we will share with you what we can, as quickly as we can, about the means and methods of attack."

Mueller cited a recent partnership between the financial industry and the FBI to put together an intelligence report on threats in banking transactions. "We shared that report with more than 4,000 partners. Together we worked to limit the breadth and scope of this potential threat, and we closed the door to countless hackers," Mueller said. He did not provide any details on the threats or the report.

Meanwhile, the threat of cyberterrorism is "real and rapidly expanding," Mueller said. "To date, terrorists have not used the Internet to launch a full-scale cyberattack. But they have executed numerous denial-of-service attacks. And they have defaced numerous Websites, including Congress' Website following President Obama's State of the Union speech," he said, referring to the so-called Iranian Cyber Army hacking group.

"We in the FBI, with our partners in the intelligence community, believe the cyber terrorism threat is real, and it is rapidly expanding. Terrorists have shown a clear interest in pursuing hacking skills. And they will either train their own recruits or hire outsiders, with an eye toward combining physical attacks with cyberattacks."

Targeted attacks for intelligence and espionage are also a major threat, according to Mueller. He noted that intelligence-gathering efforts by hackers to grab "seemingly innocuous" data about a company can provide them a foot in the door into the company's network.

These targeted attacks have resulted in the loss and corruption of victims' data. "We are concerned with the integrity of your source code. If hackers made subtle, undetected changes to your code, they would have a permanent window into everything you do," he said.

The FBI and other law enforcement officials are currently reverse-engineering botnets with plans to knock them offline: Most recently, the collaborative effort resulted in the takedown of the Mariposa botnet.

Mueller said the FBI has special agents "embedded" with law enforcement in Romania, Estonia, and other countries to help coordinate cybercrime investigations. "Together we are making progress. Last October we worked with Egyptian authorities to dismantle a computer-intrusion and money-laundering scheme operating in the United States and Egypt," he said.

FBI Wants You For The mobile cyberaction teams

Mueller

to Cybersecurity Experts:

The FBI Wants

You

By Richard Adhikari
TechNewsWorld

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday joined the Department of Homeland Security in seeking to hire cybersecurity experts from the private sector.

"I want to send out an invitation to those of you in the audience who want to serve the country to join the FBI," FBI Director Robert Mueller said at the RSA Conference 2010 in San Francisco on Thursday.

Mueller also urged the private sector to cooperate with the FBI in fighting cybercrime, as did DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano when she spoke at RSA 2010 on Wednesday.

Taking On More Staff

The FBI has cybersquads in each of its 56 fields nationwide, and more than 1,000 specially trained agents, analysts and digital forensic examiners who run complex undercover operations, share intelligence with partners in law enforcement and intelligence, and provide training to their counterparts around the world, Mueller said.

It also has mobile cyberaction teams -- agents, analysts and experts highly trained in both computer forensics and malicious code -- who travel worldwide to respond to fast-moving cyberthreats.

In addition, it has created and leads the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, which combines 17 law enforcement and intelligence agencies to predict what's on the horizon, to prevent attacks, and to pursue the enterprises responsible for planning them.

The FBI also has small groups of analysts and agents from different agencies who focus on different threats, Mueller said. For example, its botnet fusion focus cell investigates high-priority botnets, reverse engineers those botnets, and searches for their creators.

However, that's not enough; the FBI is seeking to beef up the ranks of its cybersecurity experts.

"We -- both you and I -- serve the American people, and we must do everything we can together to minimize and stop these attacks," Mueller said. Without support from the private sector, law enforcement will find it difficult to fight cybercrime, Mueller said.

"We need your help, so let me emphasize the importance of private sector partnerships," he told his audience.

Mueller pledged that the FBI will minimize disruption to companies that report crimes.

"Historically, there has been a dichotomy between network security and the investigative process," he pointed out. "We in the FBI understand you have practical reasons for being concerned about reporting breaches of security."

The FBI doesn't want enterprises to feel victimized a second time by an investigation, Mueller promised.

"We know that putting on raid jackets, courting the media, and shutting down your operations does not get the job done," he said, echoing what he said in 2005 when he complained about the reluctance of the private sector to report cybercrime. "For every investigation in the news, there are hundreds that never make the headlines. Disclosure is the exception, not the rule."

Private enterprises have been reluctant to report cyberattacks for fear that investigations will hurt their operations, a fact acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies.

"We will share with you what we can as quickly as we can about the means and the methods of the attacks," Mueller said, "but we cannot act if we are not aware of the problem, and maintaining a code of silence will not help you or your clients in the long run."

For example, the FBI managed to crack a crime ring that stole millions of dollars from more than 280 cities worldwide within 24 hours by using fake ATM cards because the company in question reported the crime, Mueller said.

"In 24 hours, the attackers stole hundreds of millions of dollars in more than 280 cities worldwide," Mueller told his audience. "If the company hadn't come forward, we could not have prevented these hackers from hitting their next victim."

The top three hackers behind this attack are now in custody in eastern Europe, Mueller said.

A New World Cybersecurity Order

Fighting cybercrime effectively requires international cooperation among nations and law enforcement, Mueller pointed out. "Today, no one country, no one company, no one agency can stop cybercrime," he explained. "We see borders as obstacles, whereas criminals see them as opportunities."

Cybercriminal gangs cooperate easily across national borders, while law enforcement agencies cannot because of jurisdictional and legal issues and other differences. Some countries also protect well-connected cybercriminals.

The FBI has more than 60 attachés based in nations around the globe who share information and intelligence with their host countries, Mueller pointed out.

Cooperation between the FBI and Spanish authorities helped crack the Mariposa botnet and take down the three men behind it.

"This case, like so many others, emphasizes the need for global cooperation," Mueller said.

The FBI has also cooperated with Egyptian authorities to dismantle an intrusion and money-laundering scheme, and with German and other authorities to dismantle "Dark Market," one of the largest underground markets for stolen cyberinformation.

"Together we must work towards an international standard for dealing with cybercrime," Mueller said. "We're playing the cyberequivalent of cat and mouse, and the mouse seems to be one step ahead most of the time."