Think Tank Says "Strike Back"

A report from the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security is encouraging the U.S. government and the private sector to strike back to cyberattacks.

The panel suggests that botnets be taken down, freeing data from ransomware attacks and engage in "rescue" measures to regain stolen data.

"The time for action on the issue of active defense is long overdue, and the private sector will continue to be exposed to theft, exfiltration of data, and other attacks in the absence of a robust deterrent," the report said.

"When private sector companies have a capability to engage in active defense measures, they are building such a deterrent, which will reduce risks to these companies, protect the privacy and integrity of their data, and decrease the risks of economic and societal harm from large-scale cyberattacks."

Dennis Blair, the former national intelligence director and task force co-chair, said the the government is moving too slowly in dealing with a "dynamic" threat from cyberspace.

"We are shooting so far behind the rabbit that we will only hit it if the rabbit makes another lap and comes back to where it was," he told a conference presenting the report.

Source: Security Week