Government at Risk for Major Cyber Attack in Next 12 Months, IT Pros Say More Resources, Secure Information Sharing Needed 6/25/2002
From: Jeri Clausing of the Business Software Alliance, 202-530-5127, e-mail: jeric@bsa.org WASHINGTON, June 25 -- The U.S. government is at risk for a major cyber attack in the next year, but agencies are not adequately prepared to defend themselves, according to a survey of information technology professionals released today by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Forty-nine percent of IT professionals think it is likely the government will be hit by a major cyber attack in the next 12 months, with a third of those saying it is extremely likely, according to the study by Ipsos Public Affairs. Of those IT professionals most expert on security issues -- those responsible for their company's computer and Internet security -- 59 percent think a major attack against the government is likely in the next year, the survey said. "It's sobering that IT professionals predict a major cyber attack against the United States in the next 12 months," said Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the BSA. "Even more alarming, nine out of 10 IT professionals believe that the threat of a major cyber attack is the same or worse since September 11." Holleyman said the survey "underscores the need for accelerated cooperation between the public and private sector to ensure that sound cyber security technologies are deployed for homeland security." "There is a true sense of urgency here. It is critical that the Bush Administration and Congress move quickly on their commitments -- both financial and philosophical -- to secure this nation and its critical infrastructure," Holleyman said. "And as an industry that is developing the systems necessary to secure our country's complex information networks from terrorists and other attackers, we stand ready to help them follow through on those commitments to secure the resources and develop policies that promote a safe and legal online world." Bill Conner, president, chairman and CEO of Entrust, joined Holleyman in releasing the study on behalf of BSA's 19 member companies. "We are at war, but the U.S. government has yet to move at war speed to protect against cyber attacks," Conner said. "Unlike Y2K, where industry and government worked together to ward off a one-time problem, the risk of a major cyber attack will be a persistent threat. Just as we continue to upgrade our military offensive, the same diligence is needed to protect the nation's critical infrastructure." "We must immediately establish true private-public sector partnerships to deploy both defensive and offensive Internet security technologies to ensure national cyber security," Conner. "This will provide cross-agency secure communications and information-sharing to prevent, identify and respond to potential cyber attacks." One of the key findings of the survey was the belief of IT professionals that the government needs to devote more time and resources to cyber security -- even more than it did for Y2K. This is a theme the BSA has been pushing for months in meetings with senior White House officials. BSA member company CEOs -- during the group's Global Technology Summit in December and again a few weeks ago at a White House meeting -- have reiterated their commitment to help the administration establish a more concerted cyber security initiative. Highlights of the BSA Cyber Security Survey include: -- Of those IT professionals who are responsible for their company's computer and Internet security, 59 percent think a major attack against the government is likely in the next year. -- 72 percent of IT professionals say there is a gap between the threat of a major cyber attack against the government and the government's preparedness. -- IT professionals, by a margin of 10-to-1, are more likely to say the U.S. government security measures are not at all adequate than extremely adequate. -- Only one in four IT professionals say the government has built adequate security measures into its e-government initiatives, while one in three say the security measures are inadequate. -- 86 percent of IT professionals agree that as much or more time and resources should be invested to protect against cyber attacks than was devoted to Y2K. -- 96 percent of IT professionals say the government needs to employ technologies like encryption to secure its sensitive data so hackers will not be able to access it even if they break into the government's computer systems. "This survey accentuates the importance of network security and availability of solutions in the fortification of our homeland defense," said Gene Hodges, president of Network Associates, Inc. "We remain committed to helping secure our critical infrastructure through industry and government cooperation." The survey of 395 information technology professionals was conducted by Ispos Public Affairs between June 5 and June 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. The poll was conducted online and surveyed IT professionals from companies of all sizes in a variety of business sectors. Ipsos Public Affairs is a subsidiary of Ipsos Research, based in Paris, which is the third largest research company in the world. For a full copy of the study results, please visit http://www.bsa.org About the Business Software Alliance The Business Software Alliance (http://www.bsa.org) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal online world. The BSA is the voice of the world's software and Internet industry before governments and with consumers in the international marketplace. Its members represent the fastest growing industry in the world. BSA educates computer users on software copyrights and cyber security; advocates public policy that fosters innovation and expands trade opportunities; and fights software piracy. BSA members include Adobe, Apple Computer, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Borland, CNC Software/Mastercam, Compaq, Dell, EDS, Entrust, IBM, Intel, Intuit, Macromedia, Microsoft, Network Associates, Novell, Sybase, and Symantec. About Entrust Entrust (Nasdaq: ENTU) is a leading global provider of Internet security services and solutions that make it safer to do business and complete transactions over the Internet. Entrust has the industry's broadest set of identification, entitlements, verification, privacy and security management capabilities. Major corporations, service providers, financial institutions and government agencies in more than 40 countries rely on the privacy, security and trust provided through Entrust's portfolio of award-winning technologies. For more information, please visit http://www.entrust.com |