Essay Sample on Cyber Terrorism

Paper Objectives

The objectives of the paper are to determine how policy analysis can contribute to preventing current and future security threats.

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How and Why Hazard Has Identified the Hazard

There are several cyber crimes and threats. Cyber attackers vary in their magnitude and potential impact. While there are many types of cyber attacks, advanced persistent threats are chosen because of the potential impact it has on the targeted organization such as government organization and enterprise organization. Advance persistent threat attackers may target even the department of homeland security because of the valuable information

Advanced persistent threats have been a common form of cyber attack in which the attackers install a worm into the private network of organizations such as the department of defense or homeland security and stay there for long enough to capture and exfiltrate data to a remote location. The scenario is developed in line with the forecasted future cyber attacks. The researcher hopes that by proposing the solution to the advanced persists threat, the paper will provide guidelines that the homeland security can use in policy analysis and policy options analysis.

Security Scenario

The department of homeland security is the agency responsible for protecting the United States within the borders at the borders as well as outside the borders. However, that does not make America immune from attacks. As technological advances increases, there are possible loopholes that might be exploited by attackers. The potential for distributed denial of service attacks during the critical period might make the resources unavailable when the demand is high.

Policy Response

Using the intelligence disciplines can help the DHS predict or detect a cyber attack and avert the attack before it happens. Just like the way the cybercriminals have terrorist's cells, the DHS can use the intelligent disciplines to identify the terrorist's cells and implements necessary strategies to capture the terrorists or eliminate them. There are intelligence disciplines that should be used by homeland security to prevent a cyber attack

Five-Year Plan

"We must protect the American people, the homeland, and our great American way of life." President Donald J. Trump.

In his new security strategy, the president stated that the American government will secure federal networks and information as well as America's critical infrastructure. He also stated that America will continue to combat cybercrime and improve incident reporting. The department of homeland security will use the security strategies below over the five years to achieve its federal security policy goals.

Unlike other cyber attacks such as distributed denial of service attack, (DDOS), advanced persistent threats do not damage the infrastructure or disrupt operations but only stays in the targeted organization's network systems stealthily to capture high-value information including intellectual property and military plans to the attacker's servers for future use.

Structures and Organizations Within the Security Policy

As opposed to having a few organizations, there should be multiple groups that cooperate and produce a security policy. The goals of the security policy should be revised in line with the new security goals. The prerogatives of the president and the homeland security in overseeing national security and liaising with the other intelligence communities members to secure America, and its borders. The main structures such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the national security agency (NSA), national security control (NSC) and the Department of Defense (DOD) as well as the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) must work together to gather intelligence and use the inferences to develop proactive strategies for thwarting advanced persistent threats before their harm gets out of hand.

The CIA through the Directorate of cooperation's, the Directorate of analysis, the directorate of science and technology as well as the Directorate of support should have a new security goal each year. They should be changed with intelligence gathering, network analyst as well as creating innovative and sophisticated tools and talents necessary for the achievement of the security goals.

Although each of the organizations that are currently involved in the national security policy formulation and analysis has specific priories and agenda, it is important to note that they all have mutual overarching goals which are to protect the country and its citizens. The achieve the task; all organizations in the national security structures must share all the patient information. The wording should be changed from "may share" to "must share) patient information if there is an adequate belief the intelligence can be helpful. The NSA must transfer any information that it decodes to the DIA whenever they believe that the information would be of use to the DIA in making decision geared towards protecting America and securing the American citizens.

Instead of making the relations between organizations limited to sharing information, the relationships should go beyond information sharing. The heads of each organization should be allowed to liaise and discussion on strategic ways to improve security measures as well as deploys new technologies that can enhance homeland security in achieving the security goals.

With the threat of dynamics and volatile changes in the realm of national security and cyber space's, the professionals working for the national security and the healthy international relations among the organizations should be funded to find a new solution that would effectively defend America from domestic issues.

Conclusion

Cyber Terrorist groups may attack the homeland security's network by deploying worm into the organization's network that first jams the network systems of the whole country with massive traffic that damages the network. The attacker may also access the private network, install a virus that stealthily stays in the network, and infiltrates data for the base of the attackers. Such worm and denial of service attacks can lead to a massive data breach or data loss. The department of homeland security may not be in a position to prevent and or respond to domestic emergencies within the shortest time. Such massive breaches require new policy approach or response strategies.

Recommendation

Year 1: deport all undocumented workers- illegal immigrants in America is currently the main sect threat to the nation and its infrastructure. These people entered American illegally because they did not meet the basic entry requirements. They can either the terrorists or other forms of criminals.

Year 2: the government will start to ensure that everyone is registered in the government database. Everyone entering the country must be subjected to proper security check and background checks

Year 3: intelligence disciplines must have their offices in each state and major cities in America. This way, efficiency and effectiveness of the DHS would be improved in terms of intelligence gathering, anamnesis and response to threats.

Year 4: the government will increase its funding for more research on how to improve security policies and security measures. Investment in security technologies and research will help in improving the security and intelligence capabilities of the DHS

Year 5: the government will conduct security options analyses on the fifth year and every five years while security analysis will be conducted every year.