Wanted: A Smokey Bear for cybersecurity

Public awareness, increased education in sciences key to secure future, expert panel says

Cybersecurity has become more than a homeland security issue; it has become a national lifestyle issue that hinges on raising education at the individual level, a panel of information security experts said today.

“If the U.S. is going to continue to be a center of innovation in the world, we need to up our game” and get on par with the science, engineering and technology schooling of China and India, according to Richard Schaffer, information assurance director at the National Security Agency.

“It’s a U.S. problem; it’s a challenge that, [if left] unmet, is going to put us in a dangerous situation in 10 or 20 years when we can’t afford to be in second place. We never want to be in second place,” Schaffer added.

Beyond formal education, U.S. cybersecurity strategy needs to develop a public awareness campaign that permeates the workplace, schools and homes —much like the development of Smokey Bear to promote fire safety, panelists said. GNC