I was robbed and left feeling naked. My thieving sister attempted to sprint out the backdoor wearing my brand new sweatshirt. I detected the guilty thief, but the furious attack of my words did not deter her escape. She got what she wanted with no consequences. As a result, a war has begun. And not just between my sister and I. A war unlike any other in history raging between America and foreign competitors- a cyberwar. Cyber espionage, the stealing of intellectual data, has become one of the greatest threats to America’s prosperity. To understand the impact of this invisible corruption, we must hack into the reasoning behind the theft, exploit its extensive economic costs and identify the political prevention methods. We must push for increased cyber security to ensure that our economy prospers.
After my sister obtained information that my new jeans were laying vulnerable on my bed, she infiltrated my room and snuck them out. Just as my sister profits from stealing my clothes, countries profit from seizing critical industrial information. CNBC discloses that, “hackers are stealing valuable trade secrets, intellectual property, and confidential business strategies.” Cyber espionage acts as a get-rich-quick scheme that actually works. The main perpetrator prevails to be China. Google chairman Eric Schmidt, who has been attempting to strengthen Google’s cybersecurity, estimates that eighty five percent of all industry espionage originates from China. An example of U.S. information stolen by China, derived from an Epoch Times article on March 14, 2014, includes the theft of design upgrades and significant weapon enhancements from the F-35 fighter jet. The information was passed on to an aviation company and was incorporated into Chinese jets. To accomplish their profits, China uses a sneaky strategy.
Before getting to the prize of my wardrobe, my sister invaded my room. Chinese hackers also work from a small to large scale. Gerry Smith, a technology reporter from the Huffington Post, affirmed that humble businesses are being hacked into and made unknowingly complicit in Chinese cyber espionage. The Chinese thieves take over companies’ computers and use them to disguise attacks against other companies. This strategy was utilized in the Target breach last December, when hackers entered Target’s system through a heating and air conditioning company with access to Target’s network. Businesses must increase their cyber security to protect not only themselves but our entire country. As of right now, no business can hide from cyber espionage. The result? Severe economic repercussions.
My hard earned money was wasted after my sister robbed my white tank top on spaghetti day. Cyber spies today are similarly draining our economy. General Keith Alexander, former head of the U.S. Cyber Command, labels cybercrime as the “greatest transfer of wealth in history.” A 2013 McAfee study presents research that cyber espionage could be costing the U.S. $100 billion annually. The equivalent of 508,000 lost jobs. President Obama declared that “America's economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.” Unfortunately, this issue has yet to be resolved because CISPA, a bill that could be our solution, has been rejected by Congress due to “insufficient” privacy protections. However, if Congress is persuaded of the urgency to increase cyber security, an agreement could be near.
In my situation, I could have prevented my outfit from being swiped if I took effective action to stop my sister. If we urge Congress to pass a bill to increase cyber security, we can avoid being stripped of everyone’s investments and receive economic benefits. Action is already being taken to improve cyber security. The Washington Examiner reported on March, 28, 2014, that, “The Pentagon plans to more than triple it’s cyber security staff to defend against internet attacks...” and should have 6,000 cyber professionals by the year 2016. In addition, President Obama has issued an executive order that requires government agencies to inform companies of potential cyber threats in real-time. Yet these intentions are not a full solution; they do not address what cyber security experts consider the real problem. As the NY Times asserted, our nation’s cyber infrastructure is outdated and insecure. While sending threat information to businesses and developing a cyber staff will deter attacks, these measures will not mend our cyber infrastructure. To create a truly effective form of security, a bill must be passed. If Congress can not afford to give up minimal citizen privacy rights by passing CISPA, then a new bill must be crafted to protect companies from cyber threats and update our nation’s cyber infrastructure. Investing in heightened security will create economic growth that clearly outweighs the alternative annual loss of over 500,000 jobs. According to a 2013 US News article, a comprehensive bill would recoup billions of taxpayer dollars and immediately result in more jobs, higher wages, and lower prices for Americans. While putting a significant dent in China’s criminal cyber activity, passing a bill will also protect and strengthen our economy.
Cyber espionage, and the theft of my clothing, can be prevented. By passing a bill, it will be law to report, inform, and warn of cyber espionage- creating advanced protection for every business. Target has renounced cheap security, our president has taken action to reduce cyber attacks, and the Pentagon has proposed a strategy to fight cyber criminals, but these actions are not enough. Now it is the duty of Congress to protect our nation. If we the people press for increased cyber security, Congress will have to address the problem Then, America’s wealth will remain in its rightful position, jobs will be recovered, and our economy will prosper. There’s a progressing war against Americans; to protect ourselves, we must secure our cyberspace. With no precautions taken, America’s whole outfit will be hijacked and we all will be left naked.