Cyber Security Solved Assignment

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WHERE DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRIVATE FIRMS BEGIN AND END IN
CYBERSECURITY? SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT FORCE
THE ORGANIZATIONS TO DO MORE TO FIGHT AGAINST
THREATS IN CYBERSPACE?
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INTRODUCTION
Cyber security is developing as one of the most demanding facets of the data era for strategy
developers. It has developed into a crucial board subject and a mainstay industry
apprehension. Cyber perils can no more be neglected. It impacts the national safety,
economy, human rights, public independence and global lawful frameworks. Government
have always been wary of the intimidations of cyber anxiety since the start of the internet
technology, yet the apprehension with regards the complicatedness in tackling these issues
has not lessened, rather increased manifolds. Therefore it has been noticed that the
government have started to force companies to take steps to fight against these threats by
formulating certain national cyber security tactics so as to mention the methods via which
they propose resolve cyber uncertainty.
Various public-private partnership deeds have been signed so as to cater to the traditional and
non-traditional cyber security intimidations, yet the said deal is an issuable one. Thereby due
to the particular vagueness about the clear roles of public and private entities in this regards,
it is crucial to comprehend where the responsibility of the private firms start and end with
does regards the cyber security and should governments compel corporates to do more so as
to fight against the perils of cyberspace.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
It is clear that cyber security is a matter of concern with the growing usage of internet
technology. Thus the main purpose behind conducting the said research is to comprehend
how the private entities in the United States begin and end the Cybersecurity and whether the
government should interfere so as to intimidate the companies to do more so as to fight
against perils in cyberspace. Not many steps are being taken to safeguard the private citizens
against these hazards, so much that personal accounts in Facebook, Gmail, Twitter etc are
being hacked in huge numbers. The paper will also evaluate the various ways and means to
safeguard and the ensure that the government is more occupied into safeguarding the general
public against such technology related sabotage.
RESPONSIBLITY OF PRIVATE FIRMS IN CYBER SECURITY
The increasing cyber security hazards and occurrences meeting private sector organizations
heave one of the most essential question i.e. where does the private firms conscientiousness
towards cyber security start and ends. It is true that the board of directors are in a fiduciary

position towards fulfilling their duty and cyber security threats are now a part of it. Having
developed into further positively employed, the board now looks for healthier cyber insights
than the traditional one. Research on cyber risks specify that spontaneous and clumsy
supremacy of hazard functions, eventually leaves staff associates ill-equipped to halt
fatalities- thus the harm that the companies suffer is ruled by the ability of the hacker than the
vigour of the defend1.
Due to increased sophistication and complexity with regards the cyber security threats, it is
difficult to draw a line between the start and the end of the responsibilities of the private
institutions towards cyber security. Thus there responsibility extends without any kind of an
end as upbeat resistance needs going on the offense. As the number of threats and intricacy
has been increasing with each passing day, the discussion with regards cyber security has
altered from spreading knowledge about it within the firms with respect to its importance to
identification of their precedence safety needs and requirements and giving them possible
elucidations that provide them with a better return on their cyber security investment.
It is usually accepted that a public-private partnership is a necessity to safeguard the cyber
domain and the fact that the perils to America’s cyber infrastructure is grave. Since the
technological perils arises at a very fast pace and private entities are the worst hit when any
kind of cyber security lapses occur. Although it is difficult to understand when does their
responsibility start or end with regards cyber threats, but what their responsibility is, is clear2.
The enterprises in the private sector have the role of developing something new and fight
against the hazards, structuring the defence within the applications and systems and imparting
education and alertness. However, some researchers opinionated that more than innovation,
regulation is the need of the hour i.e. the private firms should try to formulate a well driven
process.
Security is not a solitary work nor feeler. Whenever any discussion about risk management
happens, technology also has found a place. However it is impossible to depend upon the
same at the cost of other contemplations, for example, formulating an established cyber
1 Sean D. Carberry, "Why the Private Sector Is Key to Cybersecurity." The Business of Federal Technology. March 01, 2017. Accessed
May 06, 2018. https://fcw.com/articles/2017/03/01/why-the-private-sector-is-key-to-cybersecurity.aspx.
2 Lawrence A. Gordon,, Martin P. Loeb, William Lucyshyn, and Lei Zhou. "Increasing Cybersecurity Investments in Private Sector
Firms." Journal of Cybersecurity1, no. 1 (September 1, 2015): 3-17. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://academic.oup.com/cybersecurity/article/1/1/3/2367124.

security customs and synchronising third party merchant safety. It has been observed that
those enterprises who fund in harmonizing cyber security endeavours across their firms are
more supple when dealing with a cyber molest or infringements.
Unfortunately, most of the entities and corporates ignore the fundamental safety controls such
as complicated pass codes, multi-factor substantiation and usage of virtual private network
(VPN), however fundamentally it should be above that as well. The private sector has the
duty to proactively alleviate cyber threats rather than only reacting at the time of a cyber
disaster and the same time to be submissive with supervisors.
Thus even though the US Government are trying to fight back these cyber security perils, yet
due to lack of adequate economic resources available, the burden to protect the same falls on
the private entities, wherein their responsibility begins. However, their lies no end to their
responsibility as the cyber security threats are increasingly manifolds which each passing
year. Lastly, it is clear that a private entity’s role and duty in this regard is very different as it
is not like that of government which thinks about public welfare. They make decisions and
perform their responsibilities only within a business model that leads to profitability and
stability of their business. Thus it can be construed that to some extend although not totally,
the responsibility of the private firms end where they are sure that they have been able to
protect the cyber threats to an extent which does not impact their profits and the interests of
their investors. Therefore they accept responsibility for safeguarding the systems to the extent
it is profitable i.e. as long as the cost of doing business with an outage guarantees to cost
more than avoiding it3.
SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT FORCE THE ORGANISATIONS TO DO MORE TO
FIGHT AGAINST THREATS IN CYBERSPACE
Although it is understood that government cannot do much with regards the cyber security
threats due to lack of resources, however they can definitely guide and exert pressure upon
the private entities to put in more efforts to fight against the cyber crimes. They are trying to
enter into various partnerships with the private entities but all the efforts being put in does not
seem to be enough to fight back the crime well4.
3 "New Cybersecurity Report Focuses on the Private Sector." Malwarebytes Labs. November 03, 2016. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/security-world/2016/11/new-cybersecurity-report-focuses-on-the-private-sector/.

Governments are formed to ensure protection of the state and thus it is a tremendously
elusive subject for them to compel the private institutions in this area of risk to take the
responsibility. Since they lack financial backing to the extent required, governments are
definitely required to at least support the private firms who are trying to safeguard the threats.
However, the level of involvement of the private firms is not deep enough to fight back major
slip offs and hence the government has a crucial role to play to force them to make more
efforts in fighting the cyber crime5.
Private entities are more involved in safeguarding their own threats and least interested in
protecting the public against such cyber crimes, due to which the governments have to
interfere as they cannot do much to protect the state without the help of the private firms.
They have a propensity to mark a difference between safeguarding against low-level perils
for example, background noise, individual attackers, and possibly hacktivists and
safeguarding against any assails which impacts the security of the state. Thus the
governments should try to educate the private institutions towards fighting against the cyber
crime in a manner which would enable protecting the state as well6.
The government should ensure to force private firms to fight the cyber crime but not only for
their own benefits, but for the benefit of the nation as well. Due to the same, it is crucial for
the two sectors i.e. public and private, to work in conjunction so as to establish a framework
which fights cyber security and also considers the very lawful business apprehensions of
sustaining and upholding individual solitude compulsion, safeguarding corporate proprietary
facts and defending cut-throat arrangements, at the same time endorsing a competent trading
of facts and figures7.
4 Madeline. Carr, "Public-private Partnerships in National Cyber Security Strategies." International Affairs92, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 43-
62. https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/92/1/43/2199930.
5 Michael E. O'Hanlon, "Cyber Threats and How the United States Should Prepare." June 14, 2017. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/06/14/cyber-threats-and-how-the-united-states-should-prepare/.
6 Heather. Kelly, "Is the Government Doing Enough to Protect Us Online?" Cnn. July 26, 2012. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/25/tech/regulating-cybersecurity/index.html.
7 Harry D. Raduege,, Jr. "The Public/Private Cooperation We Need on Cyber Security." Harvard Business Review. June 18, 2013. Accessed
May 06, 2018. https://hbr.org/2013/06/the-publicprivate-cooperation.

Furthermore the truth is private sector cannot fight alone, specifically if the corporates have
to face the antagonism wherein nation-state assault modus operandi are being used. Even
though the private entities are fighting the cyber crime well, yet there seems to be a dire need
for the government to push them further as it would help to eradicate any kind of slip offs in
the present technique. The government would force them and provide with a solution only
after understanding over the exclusive problems which they face8.
Former US president Obama, had acknowledged the significance of cyber security to the US
national security. Recognising the significance of cyber security is a compulsory initial step
in determining the obstructions related to cyber security risks and incidents. The second step
is to find a solution to these crimes related to information technology for which the
government has to provide the private organizations with various incentives which would act
as a driving force for them to do better and more for fighting the cyber crime well. Thus the
enticements/ regulations are expected to be mainly helpful in heartening a more apposite
stage of cyber security investments by private firms9.
CONCLUSION
Thus on a concluding note, it is understood that the cyber security risks faced by private
entities raise the following essential enquiry: how much should a private sector firm spend in
cyber security actions? Obtaining the answer to the above enquiry has been the point of
discussion of Congressional Hearings, academic research and negotiations amid
management. It is very critical to remember that private entities are motivated to a great
extent by the urge to earn profits. Due to the same, the money invested in fighting the cyber
security crime by them are basically the outcome of a cost-benefit evaluation. Unfortunately,
the said evaluation is a narrow one which takes into account only the private costs which are
related to cyber security lapses and ignores the impact of the same on the external parties i.e.
these are not factored in while fighting the cyber security crime and investing money into
safeguarding from such an issue. Due to this narrow thought process adopted by the private
8 Lior. Div, "How the Government Can Help Businesses Fight Cyber Attacks." October 28, 2016. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3135864/security/how-the-government-can-help-businesses-fight-cyber-attacks.html.
9 Ellen. Nakashima, "Obama Administration Outlines International Strategy for Cyberspace." The Washington Post. May 16, 2011.
Accessed May 06, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/obama-administration-outlines-international-strategy-for-cyberspace/
2011/05/16/AFokL54G_story.html?utm_term=.5fbb8d9e69f3.

entities, the governments should make such arrangements which would force the
organizations to do more while fighting against such cyber crimes.
Presently, the duty and accountability of the private sector firms begin when they face any
kind of a cyber security breach which has an implication over the sensitivity of the data of the
firm and ends when they have addressed the said breach by taking into consideration the cost
involved and the profits earned. They ignore the consequences being faced by the other
external parties due to which the government has observed that they should force these
institutions and firms to do more to fight against the cyber crime.
REFERENCES:

Carr, Madeline. "Public-private Partnerships in National Cyber Security
Strategies." International Affairs92, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 43-62.
https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/92/1/43/2199930.
Carberry, Sean D. "Why the Private Sector Is Key to Cybersecurity." The Business of Federal
Technology. March 01, 2017. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://fcw.com/articles/2017/03/01/why-the-private-sector-is-key-to-cybersecurity.aspx.
Div, Lior. "How the Government Can Help Businesses Fight Cyber Attacks." October 28,
2016. Accessed May 06, 2018. https://www.csoonline.com/article/3135864/security/how-the-
government-can-help-businesses-fight-cyber-attacks.html.
Gordon, Lawrence A., Martin P. Loeb, William Lucyshyn, and Lei Zhou. "Increasing
Cybersecurity Investments in Private Sector Firms." Journal of Cybersecurity1, no. 1
(September 1, 2015): 3-17. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://academic.oup.com/cybersecurity/article/1/1/3/2367124.
"New Cybersecurity Report Focuses on the Private Sector." Malwarebytes Labs. November
03, 2016. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/security-world/2016/11/new-cybersecurity-report-focuses-on-
the-private-sector/.
Nakashima, Ellen. "Obama Administration Outlines International Strategy for Cyberspace."
The Washington Post. May 16, 2011. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/obama-administration-outlines-international-
strategy-for-cyberspace/2011/05/16/AFokL54G_story.html?utm_term=.5fbb8d9e69f3.
O'Hanlon, Michael E. "Cyber Threats and How the United States Should Prepare." June 14,
2017. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/06/14/cyber-threats-and-how-the-
united-states-should-prepare/.
Kelly, Heather. "Is the Government Doing Enough to Protect Us Online?" Cnn. July 26,
2012. Accessed May 06, 2018. https://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/25/tech/regulating-
cybersecurity/index.html.

Raduege, Harry D., Jr. "The Public/Private Cooperation We Need on Cyber Security."
Harvard Business Review. June 18, 2013. Accessed May 06, 2018.
https://hbr.org/2013/06/the-publicprivate-cooperation.