For this week\'s class discussion, you will find a current news article describi

Question

For this week's class discussion, you will find a current news article describing a cyber security-related event. Don't just go for the big headline stories, but dig deeper and find lesser-known stories or stories that go behind the main headlines.

The goal of the discussion is to integrate what you studied in the text book with the additional reading materials I provide and the one you find. Do not post a simple summary of an article, but discuss explicitly how it is related to the course material this week. This may mean that the first article you find isn't suitable for this week's topic (remember, the first Google result isn't necessarily the right answer!). Go find another rather than awkwardly trying to make it work. Begin by providing an accurate summary of the main points of the article you choose. Then discuss its relevance and link to the discussion topic.

Specifically, think about how cyber-incidents are reported. Who does the reporting? Where does the information come from? Does the reporting provide information that other organizations can use to defend themselves? Are any proposals out there about information security information sharing that could make a difference?

Opinion is a natural element of these discussions - but they have to be informed and reasoned. An opinion has no value if there is a lack of support from evidence (such as facts or experience).

Discussion: Your initial post is only the first part of the discussion assignment. Your responses (at least two (2) are required) to other students' articles can be supportive or a rebuttal (but always constructive and respectful) backed up by statements and facts. You can add to the discussion by highlighting additional facts, finding new viewpoints and interpretations or demonstrating how the information can be applied.

Explanation / Answer

Better end-user education

It’s kind of stating the obvious, but most systems are only as secure as the habits of the people using them. Bad actors exploit this to the fullest by taking advantage of weak passwords and unpatched software and using sophisticated phishing techniques. Companies really need to get rigorous in security training for employees at every level.

Security-aware software development

You can make it all the way through a four year degree in CS and not once have to think about creating secure code. That needs to change. Thanks to the stellar work of organizations such as Code.org, computer science is now taught in roughly 25 percent of U.S. public schools. From the very start, whether it’s in junior high or college, curricula should include specialized security courses.

Shortage of cybersecurity professionals

There just aren’t enough people focused on security. The core challenge isn’t a lack of raw talent. We’ve got nearly six million software-related professionals in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But fewer than 89 thousand, or just 1.5%, are cybersecurity specialists. That’s translated into more than 270,000 unfilled security-related IT jobs in the U.S. alone. And that shortage is part of the reason that security-related professionals are among some of the highest paid in the development field.

This skills gap has not gone unnoticed by the current administration. President Obama’s 2017 budget calls for a 35 percent increase in spending on cybersecurity, bringing it to $19 billion. A substantive portion of this budget goes toward the recruiting and training of cybersecurity professionals including offering scholarships to students who focus on security-related studies and go on to work for the Federal government out of college.

In short, there’s a lot of opportunity here in the field of cybersecurity. The bet is that higher awareness, loan forgiveness, and pretty attractive salaries will begin to close the gap.

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