FBI On Preparing For And Responding To The Cyber Threat

Richard A. McFeely, the FBI's Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (seen in the above FBI official photo), testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on cyber security on June 12, 2013.

Good afternoon Chairwoman Mikulski, Vice Chairman Shelby, and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the cyber threat, how the FBI has responded to it, and how we are marshaling our resources and strengthening our partnerships to more effectively combat the increasingly sophisticated adversaries we face in cyberspace.

As the committee is well aware, the frequency and impact of cyber attacks on our nation’s private sector and government networks have increased dramatically in the past decade, and are expected to continue to grow. Since 2002, the FBI has seen an 84 percent increase in the number of computer intrusion investigations.

Our adversaries in the cyber realm include spies from nation-states who seek our secrets and intellectual property; organized criminals who want to steal our identities and money; terrorists who aspire to attack our power grid, water supply, or other infrastructure; and hacktivist groups who are trying to make a political or social statement. It is difficult to overstate the potential impact these threats pose to our economy, our national security, and the critical infrastructure upon which our country relies. The bottom line is we are losing data, money, ideas, and innovation to a wide range of cyber adversaries and much more is at stake.

Director Mueller has said he expects the cyber threat to surpass the terrorism threat to our nation in the years to come. That is why we are strengthening our cyber capabilities in the same way we enhanced our intelligence and national security capabilities in the wake of the September 11th attacks.

You can read the rest of his statement via the below link:

http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/cyber-security-preparing-for-and-responding-to-the-enduring-threat?utm_campaign=email-Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=congressional-testimony&utm_content=232918

FBI: October Is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The FBI released the below information:
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October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month—for the ninth straight year. So what’s new?
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Well, since last October, the threat has continued to grow even more complex and sophisticated. Just 12 days ago, in fact, FBI Director Robert Mueller said that “cyber security may well become our highest priority in the years to come.”
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For its part, the FBI is strengthening its cyber operations to sharpen its focus on the greatest cyber threats to national security: computer intrusions and network attacks. We are enhancing the technological capabilities of all investigative personnel and hiring additional computer scientists to provide expert technical support to critical investigations. We are creating two distinct task forces in each field office: Cyber Task Forces, focused on intrusions and network attacks that will draw on our existing cyber squads; and Child Exploitation Task Forces, focused on crimes against children. We are also increasing the size and scope of the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force—the FBI-led multi-agency focal point for coordinating and sharing cyber threat information to stop current and future attacks.
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The FBI also runs several other cyber-related programs, including the Innocent Images National Initiative—which combats online child predators—and the Internet Crime Complaint Center—a partnership between the Bureau and the National White Collar Crime Center that serves as a clearinghouse for triaging cyber complaints and provides an easy-to-use online tool for reporting these complaints.
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Because of the interconnectedness of online systems, every American who uses digital technologies at home or in the office can—and must—play a part in cyber security. For example, if you open a virus-laden e-mail attachment at work, you could infect your entire company’s computer network. Don’t be the weakest link: get educated on cyber safety.
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Here are a few basic steps you can take to be more secure:
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Set strong passwords, and don’t share them with anyone.
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• Keep a clean machine—your operating system, browser, and other critical software are optimized by installing regular updates.
• Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.
• Limit the amount of personal information you post online, and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.
• Be cautious about what you receive or read online—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Visit the links below for more tips on protecting your computers and other electronic devices, information on cyber threats, and details on how to report cyber crimes or scams:
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- Report Cyber Crime
- How to Protect Your Computer
- Emerging E-Scams | Internet Fraud
- Keep Safe on Social Networking Sites