Cybersecurity includes safeguarding systems and information from key cyber threats like cyber warfare, cyber espionage, and cyber terrorism. It also involves processes and technologies intended to protect networks, data, and computers from unlawful access, attacks, and vulnerabilities through the internet via cyber criminals.
With regards to cybersecurity, the government has integrated the use of OSS like Wireshark and Nmap to run most of its day to day activities and functions. Well, this OSS are mostly open source, have a lot of features and are free, and are therefore reliable in many ways even to the government. Moreover, the decision of wasting a lot of cash as well as getting into a commitment that is long-term with a vendor is the worst option ever for the government (Martin, 2013). Well the OSS proves to be realistic and rational especially during this hard economic times, they do pose possible threats themselves and in particularly when it comes to the government.
The government as I feel should employ software’s that are more sophisticated and more tailored to fit their purposes. However, since they use Nmap and Wireshark they should focus on upgrading them to improve their security functions. Most of these OSS like the ones mentioned above are open source and therefore are used by a huge number of people. From this deductions can be that people have already specialized and become experts in them meaning they can handle almost everything of the OSS’S mentioned (Computer Weekly News, 2009). This creates loopholes and the OSS therefore has vulnerabilities to hacking. An example is when WikiLeaks hacked into the USA database and obtained compromising information about the country and other countries as well (Martin, 2013). Information obtained was harmful to the country itself and other countries involved either directly or indirectly.
In conclusion, the government should creatively modify their current OSS to one that are fit them and are prone to vulnerabilities. The reason being that this systems are what that essentially maintain our nations functioning and stability with reference to security and the general wellness of our nation.
References
Martin, E. J. (2013, January 1). Open Source: Is It Right for You? EContent, 4, 10.
Open Source for America Welcomes the Linux Box as Latest Member in Advocating Open Source in the U.S. Federal Government. (2009, September 3). Computer Weekly News, 6, 20.
