A Farewell of Sorts

In what amounted to his farewell address on cyber security, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke at Cyber Strategy Inquiry 2008 on the state of cyber security.  While the current administration deserves its share of criticism on cyber security, Secretary Chertoff can probably be credited with being more cyber security savvy than other cabinet secretaries.  I recall his talk at the RSA Security Conference last April and have to give him credit for recognizing the information security community and its relevance to the well being of our nation.  We are not simply a niche group.  Already the incoming Obama administration is trumpeting the importance of cyber security.  It seems that our government, and hopefully the public at large, recognize the importance of the issue and are willing to devote resources to addressing it.  With that said, we always should be wary of the kinds of policy prescriptions envisioned.  Initiatives that give us the tools to better understand the threat and defend it are welcome.  Those that merely seek to punish offenders are nothing more than lip service.  Ultimately it comes down to risk and managing it appropriately.