Fighting cyber-crime requires an Enron-like scandal to force the hand of legislators, the FBI argued today.

Only after such an event could the necessary reforms be made to allow authorities to effectively battle online criminals, according to FBI special agent Shéna Boswell-Crowe. […]

“I do not think that [cyber-crime] has had its day. There has not been something that’s large enough to generate large-scale awareness. Awareness is increasing, but we have not had that large event that makes people think: ‘This is really bad.'”

Spend any time with INFOSEC types and they’ll talk your ear off about how severe (or not) these issues are; the same holds true for Info War types (I’ve got a foot in both camps). The tie-in to intelligence and broader security matters comes when you start entertaining the idea of what it would take to bring about broad, deep, and serious reform. One would have thought that 9/11 would have been the impetus to dust out the cobwebs and grease the wheels, but so far I see a lot of use of Brasso and little else. If 9/11 wasn’t enough to move us forward, try this thought experiment: how bad a kick in the groin would we have to suffer before real change is brought about?

There must be a book in there somewhere . . .

About the Author

Michael Tanji

Michael Tanji spent nearly 20 years in the US intelligence community. Trained in both SIGINT and HUMINT disciplines he has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. At various points in his career he served as an expert in information warfare, computer network operations, computer forensics, and indications and warning. A veteran of the US Army, Michael has served in both strategic and tactical assignments in the Pacific Theater, the Balkans, and the Middle East.