Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks , Fraud Management & Cybercrime

'Time for US Cyber Command to Take the Gloves Off'

Cyber War Expert Tom Kellermann on How U.S. Should Respond to Alleged Election Interference
'Time for US Cyber Command to Take the Gloves Off'

In the wake of the news that 12 additional Russians have been indicted for conspiring to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, a key question emerges: What will President Trump say when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin? Carbon Black's Tom Kellermann offers analysis.

Commenting soon after the indictments were announced on Friday, Kellerman, chief cybersecurity officer at Carbon Black, offered his informed opinion on the latest developments.

"These indictments specifically name the individuals who orchestrated the long-term cyber campaign against the U.S. that began essentially at the end of 2014," Kellermann says in an interview with Information Security Media Group. "This series of indictments really calls into question whether the president is willing and/or able to confront Vladimir Putin during Monday's dinner regarding his act of war - if not an act of aggression - against the U.S. by disrupting the electoral process."

Kellermann has studied the nation-state threat for years, and he is well aware of the inherent challenges of international prosecutions. But he still hopes to see these individuals extradited and tried.

"These folks have been leveraging a cyber espionage campaign against the U.S. that essentially is unprecedented," he says. "And they've been doing it not just against the electoral system, but also against the critical infrastructures, whether they be energy, finance or government agencies themselves."

In addition to the U.S. response, Kellermann is concerned about how Russia reacts.

"There's a wicked wind coming out of the East, and I think we should all be concerned," Kellermann says. "These indictments today will result in a dramatic escalation in cyberspace. I'm very concerned about what goes on over the weekend across U.S. networks."

In an interview about the latest Russian indictments, Kellermann discusses:

  • The significance and timing of this news;
  • How the U.S. should respond to Russia;
  • The state of election security heading into the midterm vote.

Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer at Carbon Black, is the former CEO at Strategic Cyber Ventures. He's a cyber intelligence expert, author, professor and leader in the field of cybersecurity. He held a seat on the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th President of the United States and served as an adviser to the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance. As chief cybersecurity officer for Trend Micro Inc., he was responsible for analysis of emerging cybersecurity threats and relevant defensive technologies. In addition to his professional work, Kellermann was a professor at American University's School of International Service and the Kogod School of Business, and he co-authored the book, "E-safety and Soundness: Securing Finance in a New Age." He is a Certified Information Security Manager and a Certified Ethical Hacker.




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