Dr. Phyllis Schneck
Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Global Public Sector McAfee, Founding Chairman and Chairman ...
The number of cybersecurity incidents reported by federal agencies is rising dramatically, according to data from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team at the Department of Homeland Security. In a single year, the number of cybersecurity incidents increased by more than 40 percent. In McAfee’s own 2009 report, “Unsecured Economies: Protecting Vital Information,” an international team of data protection and intellectual property experts discovered that cybercrime accounts for an estimated $1 trillion in annual losses to business around the world. As you can see, the threat of cybersecurity is not unique to one sector—it affects both private and public, the government and the corporation.
I had a chance to discuss with CQ Weekly ways in which the public and private sectors can work together to achieve the goal of data protection. Already, the Pentagon and defense contractors have developed a system for organizations to share information about threats and attacks they encounter. Similarly, during the Operation Aurora attacks, McAfee shared information about trends that we identified with our customers, competitors and even the federal government. This type of collaboration helps us to learn from previous attacks so that we are better prepared for future threats.
McAfee looks forward to continued collaboration with both the public and private sector. We all share the same goal: to secure and protect the data and communications that enable our infrastructures and way of life.
Tags: Cybercrime, government, Public Sector
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