For the first time since taking up the post in March, Philip Reitinger told AFP the spred of malware like botnets-software now constitutes an underground market economy.
More must be done to combat the lucrative trade in malicious software, which threatens sensitive government networks and personal data, the head of the US National Cybersecurity Center warned Tuesday.
Hackers now not only assemble botnets, they sell botnets. The underground market economy is behind that. That includes organized crime groups.
There have been risks to government capabilities from botnet attacks. They are threatening government networks and personal data, the head of the US National Cybersecurity Center says.
There are reports that the US electricity grid and F-35 fighter jet programs had been the target of attacks, amid murmurings about backing from foreign governments. "Everyone recognizes that we are in a national security moment."
The threats have been rising for some time and although our capabilities as a government and in fact internationally have been going up, it's I think clear that the status quo is no longer sufficient.
"Everyone thought of hackers as sort of curious kids that sat in their room and banged on the computer late into the night with their pizza boxes and, you know, they were just out there to make a name for themselves.
"Cracking is very different now, the threats have become much more sophisticated," he said.
Cyber attacks are thought to cost the US economy around eight billion dollars a year, although estimates including intellectual property theft put the figure at closer to one trillion dollars.
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