Lieberman, Collins, Carper Seek Gold Standard in Cybersecurity

A look at the week of July 12 in advocacy for the IT channel: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) allowed Top Level Domain restrictions to sunset; this might create substantial cybersecurity problems. A new defense department program allows for the temporary exchange of public and private IT workers. The Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism held a hearing to evaluate the Obama Administration’s cybersecurity proposal. Senators Lieberman, Collins and Carper co-authored an op-ed in the Washington Post advocating a “gold-standard” in cybersecurity and warning of a cyber Pearl Harbor if there is a failure to do so.

New TLDs Could Cause Cybersecurity Nightmare - International Business Times reports that on June 20th, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers top-level domains (TLDs, such as the familiar .com, .net, .org), ended the restriction of TLDs to just a few dozen existing domains, clearing the way for any combination of letters or symbols as a new address-ending suffix. While the most obvious use is commercial (.nike and .coke, for example), there are no restrictions as to what the new TLDs can be – and this is considerably worrying some security professionals. The main problem involves the potential confusion between external addresses (such as those that web browsers use to reach the usual Internet pages) and internal addresses (such as those that companies use to route private network traffic).

Defense Launches IT Exchange Pilot - Nextgov.com reports that the Defense Department is launching a pilot program that enables components to temporarily exchange information technology workers with the private sector. The 2010 Defense Authorization Act, allows for the temporary detail of Defense and private sector IT employees to participate in an exchange between the two sectors. The pilot is not a one-for-one exchange of personnel, but rather an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills between Defense and the private sector, Defense said. The exchanges must commence by Sept. 30, 2013.

Senate Hearing To Evaluate Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity Proposals - According to The State Column, the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing focused specifically on three elements of the Administration’s proposals: the proposed data breach notification requirement, the voluntary information sharing proposal, and recommendations for increased criminal penalties under the hacking statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1030. Testifying on behalf of the Administration were James A. Baker, associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice; Greg Schaffer, acting deputy under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD); and Ari Schwartz, senior internet policy advisor for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce.

Lieberman, Collins, Carper Seek 'Gold Standard' in Cybersecurity -The United States needs a “gold standard” in cyber-defenses, Sens. Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine., and Tom Carper, D-Del., said in a Washington Post op-ed Friday. The alternative to better cybersecurity measures, they wrote, “could be a digital Pearl Harbor.” The authors, who serve respectively as chair, ranking member and member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, proposed legislation to give the Department of Homeland Security statutory authority to work with industry to identify potential risks to the country’s critical cyber-infrastructure.