Panelists: Information-Sharing to Solve Cyber-Security Woes Still Lacking

Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Attwell Baker said at the agency's workshop on September 30 that security is the most important challenge facing the communications sector. "I think it's really important we get this right, because if this is the part we get wrong, all the rest is for naught." Don Welch, president and CEO of the nonprofit research group Merti Network, told the agency that the Internet service providers are lacking the incentives to justify investments in network security are missing. He suggested that the federal government provide such incentives by requiring ISPs to disclose information about network breaches. "If I can say my network is more secure than your network, I'll get some justification for investing in cybersecurity," he said. "Coming up with that return is really what's going to be hard for private industry. John Nagengast, executive director for strategic initiatives with AT&T's government solutions division, pointed out that it is nearly impossible to answer the question that amazes every user: "Where did this attack come from?" Global real-time monitoring is the only way to tackle the problem, he said.