Elections are fast approaching – and it is time to prepare.
If the last several months have taught us anything, it is that our choice at the ballot box will have a lasting and meaningful impact on our future. It will directly influence policy direction, the development of laws and bylaws, and ultimately the shape of our society moving forward.
As such, gaining an accurate understanding of what our candidates stand for is integral.
We need to ask for precise and detailed explanations of their positions on the important topics.
We need to know their priorities for reform.
In this series of opinion pieces, I am going to highlight several key areas where seeking clarification from candidates will be essential to you making good choices in the future – the first of which is cybersecurity.
Over the last decade cyberspace has rapidly evolved into something much more than a means of sharing information.
It has become the fifth domain of our society. It now impacts upon every single aspect of our lives, both positively and negatively. Many large corporations would rendered be useless without it, with our government now relying on it to manage every aspect of the entire country.
Moreover, we now need it to manage every aspect of our daily lives.
Which is exactly why cybersecurity is so important.
Over the last few years, we have witnessed state sponsored attacks across the globe.
Cyberattacks in history
The National Health Service in the United Kingdom only recently underwent one of the biggest cyberattacks in history, where detailed health information on thousands of UK citizens was extracted and distributed to god knows what end.
In 2009, a group of international hackers breached Google’s corporate servers and gained access classified information about suspected spies, agents, and terrorists that were under surveillance by the US government.
In 2015, the US Office of Personnel Management was the victim of one of the largest cyberattacks in history, where records of approximately 21.5 million of American citizens were stolen by what is believed to be a group of hackers from China.
Oh, and of course, let us not forget the impact that the Russian government had on our last election.
It is truly scary stuff.
Addressing cybersecurity upon election
In essence, it is apparent that our personal data can be breached – which is why having a thorough understanding on our candidates’ position on this critical issue is so important.
Because it can and will impact upon every aspect of our lives.
So, what is the position of candidate Biden and Trump?
How are they going to address cybersecurity upon election?
The Trump administration has proposed a budget to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Talent Management System, allowing them to hire 150 new cybersecurity employees by 2020. With this comes as increase in the number of network risk assessments, and the allocation of more than one billion dollars for cybersecurity efforts in the Department of Homeland Security.
However, it is important to note that the total amount dedicated to cybersecurity administration is almost the same as proposed last year – which many believe is too low for what is supposedly the federal government’s “premier” cyber department.
What about Biden?
He has openly acknowledged that cyber threats are a challenge to US national security, election integrity, and the health of the democracy. He has also stated that he believes the government should be pressuring tech companies to reform their practices around privacy, surveillance, and hate speech.
What remains unclear is how he aims to address these issues.
Will Biden try to introduce the same legislation into congress that Obama sought – which were arguably some of the strictest cybersecurity measures on the planet.
Importantly, who are his cyber advisors? Does he have the personnel required to truly make positive change?
Lastly, will he have the foresight to make investments in bitcoin and quantum computing as means to truly negate the rapidly growing cybersecurity threat?
How will we be protected?
For us to gain a true understanding of who is the best candidate, these questions need to be answered in detail. We need to know how we, as individuals and as a nation, will be protected from future cyber-attacks.
We need to ensure that our information is in safe hands.
And to do that, we need to know who has the safest hands.
