Cyber Defense eMagazine February Edition for 2023

of Colonial Pipeline’s email network that was used to deliver ransomware, and deterred the denial of
service attacks that overwhelmed major banks in the U.S. between 2012 -13.
First, the luxury of anonymity must be extinguished. No matter how we feel about it in social contexts, it
is simply not a viable option when it comes to critical infrastructures such as national defense, power
grids, and financial services.
Second, ownership and control of internet pipes, clouds, and virtual infrastructures must be regulated to
ensure that they and their owners meet the highest standards of integrity and security.
Third, the nuts and bolts of the internet and the software and hardware that it relies on must be better
engineered from a security point of view.
Fourth, there must be rules and cyber police that enforce them – even to the extent of triggering “kill
switches” that eliminate offending software and virtual travelers.
Finally, new secure private networks containing these more secure characteristics must be introduced at
least when it comes to supporting critical infrastructures.
All of this will slow down user experience, limit where they can go online, and perhaps dampen the social
media experience. It will be unpopular. But that is a small price to pay for economic security. The
challenge ahead will be fraught with complex choices such as this no matter how we turn. But at least
there are choices that we are still able to make. That may not always be the case.
About the Author
Thomas P. Vartanian is the Executive Director of the Financial Technology &
Cybersecurity Center. He has worked as a regulator and lawyer in the financial
technology world for forty-five years. His newest book, The Unhackable
Internet: How Rebuilding Cyberspace Can Create Real Security and Prevent
Financial Collapse from Prometheus Books is available now.
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