London: Commenting on a report from the UK’s Defence Select Committee that effectively warns the country’s critical national infrastructure is now in jeopardy, owing to a complacent attitude to the threat posed by cybercriminals and cyberterrorists, Venafi says that the solution lies firmly in the Government’s hands.
Jeff Hudson, CEO of the Enterprise Key and Certificate Management (EKCM) solutions specialist, says that the Government needs to wake up and smell the (already sour) coffee.
“Cybercriminals are – as the name implies – criminals operating in the realm of cyberspace. And likewise with cyberterrorists. They are all professionals at what they do - and they are hell bent on attacking the UK’s digital architecture in order to complete their tasks,” he said.
“Those tasks range from monetising frauds all the way to inciting and otherwise promulgating terrorist activities against the West. Against this backdrop, the Government needs to act – and act swiftly – in order to seal up what has become a very leaky electronic ship,” he added.
The Venafi CEO went on to say that the UK has been very lucky to date in avoiding an electronic Pearl Harbour-like situation, as it is clear from the actions of cybercriminals that they now possess the upper hand in terms of technology and resources.
The other lucky break, he says, is that terrorists have not yet made the necessary investment in technology to allow them to fully utilise the power of cyberspace.
The solution, he adds, is for the UK to invest in the technology defences to seal any potential loopholes in the security of the critical national infrastructure.
This is not, Hudson explained, about going on the offensive with cybersecurity, as history has proven that going on the offensive is more costly in the longer term than developing an effective defence strategy.
And developing an effective strategy, he said, is all about using – and managing – the latest technologies, which include encryption and VPN services, to ensure that the gates to the UK’s critical national infrastructure are as well-policed and guarded as is technically possible.
“The irony of this situation – and one that the Government appears to have overlooked – is that the technology exists today to make this possible. All that is required is the software to effectively manage the electronic keys to the fortress in the shape of a good EKCM solution,” he said