Is Big Data More Trouble Than It's Worth For Cybersecurity?

The way to handle a cyber threat is not by harnessing the enormous amounts of data the United States collects on similar hacks, according to an unlikely source -- a former US intelligence cyber chief.

It’s too much information and inefficient to analyze.

"I hate the wisdom of crowds. That is BS. Does not exist," said Roger Hockenberry, former chief technology officer for the National Clandestine Service. "It creates this immense opportunity when you have tons of data to look at and research, but at the same time, we have tons of data that we need to look at and research."

The quality of data and automation has not matured to the point where feeding information to machines can stop an assault, he said. Still, some current Homeland Security Department officials stressed the need to at least automate data feeds about breaches -- something organizations that are hit by hackers are often reticent about.

"What it really comes down to is your CERT," or computer emergency response team, said Hockenberry, who also served as a CIA chief for cyber solutions. "All the companies that I see have a very nascent ability to automate response to any kind of attack. It’s still a manual process."