Vilma Cajigas - July 8, 2010
The US government will set into motion a comprehensive program termed "Perfect Citizen" to detect cyber attacks on private and government agencies running critical infrastructures, reported The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
The surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA), the governments cryptologic agency specializing in protecting US information, will consist of sensors being installed in computer networks running critical infrastructure, such as the electricity grid and nuclear-power plants. Any unusual activity would be detected by the sensors, indicating a possible cyber attack.
In The Wall Street Journal's report:
"Because the program is still in the early stages, much remains to be worked out, such as which computer control systems will be monitored and how the data will be collected. NSA would likely start with the systems that have the most important security implications if attacked, such as electric, nuclear, and air-traffic control systems, they said." Cyberspace has become the fifth domain of warfare, after land, sea, air and space. Some scenarios imagine the almost instantaneous failure of the systems that keep the modern world turning. As computer networks collapse, factories and chemical plants explode, satellites spin out of control and the financial and power grids fail.
Defense contractor Raytheon Corp. was awarded the $100 million classified contract for the initial phase of the surveillance effort, said an unnamed source familiar with the project.
Read the full article at DigitalJournal.com...
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