Napolitano warns large-scale cyberattack on US is inevitable

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The Hill:

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned her successor on Tuesday to move quickly to prepare for an inevitable large-scale cyberattack against the United States.

 

Napolitano, delivering her farewell address at the National Press Club, said her successor should move fast to strengthen the nation’s cyber defenses.

 

 

“Our country will, at some point, face a major cyber event that will have a serious effect on our lives, our economy and the everyday functioning of our society,” said Napolitano.

“While we have built systems, protections and a framework to identify attacks and intrusions, share information with the private sector and across government, and develop plans and capabilities to mitigate the damage, more must be done, and quickly.”

Napolitano said that while the terrorist threat to the country has not been eliminated, the ability for the U.S. to thwart attacks rapidly increases with each uncovered plot.

“For every attack we experience, every threat we face and every piece of intelligence we come across, we learn; we assess our preparations and capabilities; we make changes; we become more flexible in the actions we take; and we get stronger and more nimble,” said Napolitano, who is leaving her post to become the head of the University of California school system.