1st Edition

Cybersecurity Public Sector Threats and Responses

Edited By Kim Andreasson Copyright 2012
    390 Pages 27 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    The Internet has given rise to new opportunities for the public sector to improve efficiency and better serve constituents in the form of e-government. But with a rapidly growing user base globally and an increasing reliance on the Internet, digital tools are also exposing the public sector to new risks.

    An accessible primer, Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses focuses on the convergence of globalization, connectivity, and the migration of public sector functions online. It identifies the challenges you need to be aware of and examines emerging trends and strategies from around the world. Offering practical guidance for addressing contemporary risks, the book is organized into three sections:

    1. Global Trends—considers international e-government trends, includes case studies of common cyber threats and presents efforts of the premier global institution in the field
    2. National and Local Policy Approaches—examines the current policy environment in the United States and Europe and illustrates challenges at all levels of government
    3. Practical Considerations—explains how to prepare for cyber attacks, including an overview of relevant U.S. Federal cyber incident response policies, an organizational framework for assessing risk, and emerging trends

    Also suitable for classroom use, this book will help you understand the threats facing your organization and the issues to consider when thinking about cybersecurity from a policy perspective.

    The Global Rise of E-Government and Its Security Implications; Jeremy Millard
    Understanding Cyber Threats; Deborah L. Wheeler
    Cybersecurity in East Asia: Japan and the 2009 Attacks on South Korea and the United States; Motohiro Tsuchiya
    Toward a Global Approach to Cybersecurity; Marco Obiso and Gary Fowlie
    The Cybersecurity Policy Challenge: The Tyranny of Geography; Elaine C. Kamarck
    U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Policy; Daniel Castro
    European Cybersecurity Policy; Neil Robinson
    A Local Cybersecurity Approach: The Case of Catalonia; Ignacio Alamillo Domingo and Agustí Cerrillo-I-Martínez
    Securing Government Transparency: Cybersecurity Policy Issues in a Gov 2.0 Environment and Beyond; Gregory G. Curtin and Charity C. Tran
    The Civilian Cyber Incident Response Policies of the U.S. Federal Government; Chris Bronk
    Cybersecurity Health Check: A Framework to Enhance Organizational Security; Shin Ming Pan, Chii-Wen Wu, Pei-Te Chen, Yun Ting Lo, And Pei Wen Liu
    Beyond Public–Private Partnerships: Leadership Strategies for Securing Cyberspace; Dave Sulek and Megan Doscher
    Is There a Conclusion to Cybersecurity?; Kim Andreasson

    Biography

    Mr. Kim Andreasson has advised the United Nations on e-government since 2003, most recently in preparation for the global 2012 e-government survey, and is a managing director of DAKA advisory AB, a consultancy. He was previously an associate director and a senior editor at The Economist Group’s Business Research division where he co-edited the annual report on the Digital Economy Rankings. Andreasson is an elected member of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and the Pacific Council of International Policy and is a John C. Whitehead Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Information Technology and Politics.

    Given our increased global reliance on information and communication technologies—and the threats that come with it—the time is ripe for a book that looks specifically at cybersecurity in the public sector across the world. Having advised the United Nations on e-government since 2003, Kim Andreasson is just the person to do so.
    Karen S. Evans, Administrator (Retired), E-Government and Information Technology, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget

    One of the myriad benefits of the Internet has been the increase in efficiency and speed of communications. What used to take days and weeks to transmit can now be sent instantly with Facebook, e-mail, Twitter, and the like. In Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses, author Kim Andreasson provides an over­view of how government agencies and other public-sector groups can use the Internet without introducing unnecessary risks to their constituents.

    The book recognizes that the Internet has rapidly changed the way the public sector interacts with citizens. The quick ramp-up to Internet connectivity has led many public sector agencies to give short shrift to the issues of security and privacy. This work provides a high-level overview of security trends surrounding the effort to make government more connected, taking a broad approach with a heavy international focus. Numerous case studies demonstrate how agencies worldwide have dealt with the threats and vulnerabilities involved in moving to an e-government mode.

    One challenge that governments face is that they often move at a snail's pace, while security threats move substantially more quickly.

    For those who need a highly detailed approach to cybersecurity in the public sector, this may not be the best title. But for those seeking a broad overview of the topic,
    Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses is a good starting point.
    Ben Rothke, CISSP CISM, in Security Management, May 2013