The US government must provide companies with intelligence to protect their networks. The Cyber Executive Order – a policy document issued by the White House in February – declared that the federal government will make such information increasingly available to critical infrastructures like power plants and major financial institutions.
However, much of the cyber-espionage occurring today targets organizations, including professional services firms and innovative start-ups, that do not fall under the Cyber Executive Order’s provision. The US Department of Homeland Security needs to use its authority to incentivize and enable the creation of trusted federations of companies, like the Advanced Cyber Security Center in Massachusetts, that share cyberthreat information and best practices for cyberprotection. By sharing what they know, companies can shed light on the tactics that the Chinese are using – to the benefit of all.
