Research findings

The Impact of all these threats

             According to the Microsoft & National Broadcasting Corporation (MSNBC) article from March 2005, Cyber Attacks on Corporations are Rising; Despite Stronger Defenses, Companies are Still Vulnerable. The article states, “The threat to corporate computer systems from worms, viruses and cyber­borne attacks is getting worse, despite stronger corporate defenses. The data shows that while corporate America isn’t losing the war against computer hackers, it certainly isn’t winning it” (MSNBC March, 2005). It explains that, the United States corporate world has the need to create and implement more aggressive and evolving security tools and mechanisms to be able to prevent and respond to incidents of computer attacks.

          The private sector, along with the United States government, is facing big challenges in trying to fulfill the duties of protecting the nation’s computer system infrastructure. To further illustrate the magnitude of the problem, I have conducted a review of existing available literature to analyze the computer crime problem in the United States.

            According to the Internet Crime complaint Center (IC3) 2009 Annual Report, the agency received 336,655 complaints from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. This was a 22.3% increase as compared to 2008 when 275,284 complaints were received. ( Internet Crime Complaint Center Report, 2009). This upward trend of attack poses a special concern for any business organization’s web based economic activities. The vast majority of referred cases contained elements of fraud and involved a financial loss by the complainant. The total dollar loss from all referred cases was $559.7 million with a median dollar loss of $575. This is up from $264.6 million in total reported losses in 2008.

   In the In the year 2000 it was stated by John Serabian (CIA), in his report to the Joint Economic Committee, “a major challenge in the next decade will be to defend the computer infrastructure and protect our commerce while maintaining an open society” (Cyber Threats and the U.S. Economy, CIA Website, 2000). Serabian further points out on the same report that, “many of the countries whose cyber warfare programs we follow are the same ones that realize that, in a conventional military confrontation with the United States, they will not prevail. These countries perceive that cyber attacks, launched from within or outside the U.S., against public and private computer systems in the U.S., represent the kind of asymmetric option they will need to level the playing field during an armed crisis against the United States” (Cyber Threats and the U.S. Economy, CIA Website, 2000). This report explains how other countries do not abide by the same rules as the United States’ system, and consider many techniques as fair game regardless of the status of the target they intend to attack, whether a civilian or military target. It also reinforces the theory that any effort must be jointly accomplished by the state and non­state stakeholders to achieve the maximum benefit from any computer security effort.  

As we can see by the two graphs below that for this decade his statement accurate. It has been a major challenge defending our computer infrastructure and we have seen a steady rise in cybercrime even with the public and private sectors best efforts to fight. There was a slight drop off in 2006 and 2007 but this data is only based on reported incidents.

            In a Cable News Network (CNN) online article named, Experts: Cyber­ crime Bigger Threat than Cyber-terror, David Perry (interviewee and director of education for the international computer security company Trend Micro) says, “although the threat of cyber­terrorism exists, the greatest risk to Internet communication, commerce and security is from cyber­crime motivated by profit” (Technology, CNN Website). The Internet as a global connecting tool serves an important purpose in the realm of Corporate America and its global commercial activities. This article, in particular, that

addresses the original perceptions after the September 11 , 2001 attacks when most people believed cyber­terror (attack with a terrorist purpose) was our main threat, but recent incidents have prompted many experts in the matter to reconsider their position in favor of cyber crime for profit.

          To defend against attacks companies have developed security policies to harden their computer systems against cyber attacks. Although computer crime is on a steady rise the majority of companies in the US have a security budget that makes up only 5-10 percent of the companies IT budget. 

         The computer security industry has flourished because of the increased rate of computer crimes against corporations and government. Antivirus software, network security tools, Intrusion detection hardware and software, penetration testing tools, and computer forensic tools are being sold by startup companies that are becoming fortune 500 corporations. Security professionals are in high demand. In larger companies it is common to have whole departments dedicated to information security. Some companies outsource their security support or hire consultants. There is now a gambit of different types of security certifications. All of these are by-products of the dramatic rise of our dependence on computers and the surge of crimes committed against companies who depend on computer systems. 

Cobb, Jerry (2005, March) Cyber attacks on corporations are rising. MSNBC.com

Retrieved on April 18, 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7257289/

internet Crime Complaint center annual report 2009

http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2009_IC3Report.pdf

Coren, Micheal (2005, January) Cyber-crime bigger threat than cyber-terror CNN.com

Retrieved on April 18,2010 http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/01/18/cyber.security/index.html