Can cyberattacks usurp U.S. superpower status?
Cybersecurity could rip away the superpower status of the U.S., argues a CBS News report. Do you buy that?
CBS News, as part of its Where America Stands series, delved into the cybersecurity issue. There's no question that cybersecurity is a major issue, but you do wonder if the report is overplaying its hand. Could you really bring down the U.S. with a cyberattack?
The money quote:
"We can say that sovereignty's at risk," said Sami Saydjari. He heads the Cyber Defense Agency, an information security company. "Basically our whole superpower status as the United States depends on computers," he said. "We lose them, we lose our status as a superpower. We become a Third World country overnight."
That's a great quote, but it may just be over the top---at least that's my initial response. The big beef is that there's no cybersecurity accountability or international law. Meanwhile, state attacks are everywhere. The challenge: Button down the Internet in the U.S. Of course, that effort is like herding cats. There are a lot of taskforces and government chatter, but limited progress. In the end, cybersecurity may be a military operation.
What's your take on the report and the issue?
Roll the video: