The Month for Internet Use and Safety
The United States and other countries around the globe have designated October as the Month for Internet Use and Safety because cybersecurity is a crucial strategy. (Office of the Press Secretary, 2017a). I discuss my opinion of the Executive Order with regard to the aforementioned problem in this article.
The Responsibility of the Secretary of Defense
The Executive Order specifies that the Secretary of Defense will be responsible for carrying out the strategy relating to the cybersecurity of the national networks. (Office of the Press Secretary, 2017b). The above instruction is appropriate because the Department of Defense is more familiar with cyber threat management techniques than the Department of Homeland Security is. My perception is that the various recommendations in Section 2 of the Executive Order will be necessary for the promotion of safety of the critical infrastructure. The assessment and improvement of the critical infrastructure such as electricity will be essential in eliminating cyber threats. Also, the enhancement of transparency in the marketplace will be vital in ensuring that cyber attacks such as phishing, which significantly impedes the safety of critical data.
Sec. 3
I agree with the contents of the section mentioned above, which provides for the cooperation between the US and other nations to help control cyber threats. Also, the deterrence and protection strategies that the order outlines are appropriate as they will aid in the minimization of the costs that the US suffers in the case of cyber attacks.
Sec. 4
I disagree with the definitions that the order concerning cybersecurity provides because the contents of the terms do not conclusively give information to the readers or the implementers thereby leading to misinterpretations. Notably, section 4(a) defines appropriate ‘stakeholder' as "any non-executive-branch person who elects to participate in open and transparent practices established by the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Homeland Security." (Office of the Press Secretary, 2017b). The definition above is inconclusive and significantly confuses the users of the Cyber Security Order.
Strategies for Curbing Cyber Crimes in the Society
According to Homeland Security (2017), the social media platforms are some of the areas that have prevalent cases of cybercrimes. Therefore, it is prudent for the social media users to post information that will not reveal sensitive information that fraudsters can use inappropriately. Also, need to report to the relevant authorities if they detect some situations that make them uncomfortable. Moreover, the parents whose children are using the social media need to monitor the activities of the kids and ensure that they are safe from various cyber crimes (Homeland Security, 2017). The application of the strategies above helps in the safety of children. Apart from the children, internet users such as bloggers are also prone to cyber crimes. For instance, criminals can use the information that bloggers post to cause harm. Therefore, it is prudent that bloggers conceal their identities and places of residence.
The online users also need to be cautious and minimize cybercrimes by analyzing the websites that they visit and the manner in which they use their portals. Also, the devices such as computers are targets for cyber attacks thus prompting the need to utmost care among the society members. According to Homeland Security (2017), one can also eliminate the cyber threats described above by setting secure passwords for their online accounts. Besides, it is necessary that internet users conceal the details about their websites to eliminate hacking, especially phishing, which leads to the loss of essential data. In summary, cyber crimes adversely affect the welfare of the public and the government, but the implementation of strict policies and creation of awareness among the society will efficiently solve the challenge of cyber attacks.
References
Homeland Security. (2017). “Stop.Think.Connect. Toolkit.” From https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect-toolkit Accessed 15th October 2017
Office of the Press Secretary. (2017a). “President Donald J. Trump Proclaims October 2017 as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.” Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/09/30/president-donald-j-trump- proclaims-october-2017-national-cybersecurity
Office of the Press Secretary. (2017b). “Presidential Executive Order on Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure.” Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/11/presidential-executive-order- strengthening-cybersecurity-federal
