NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ - Mountain View, CA, United States, 2011/10/03 - White paper's release coincides with the start of National Cyber Security Awareness Month as reports of cyber attacks and cyber crime mount.

Frost & Sullivan released its latest in-depth white paper focusing on the critical role of the U.S. Government in protecting public and private sector communications and computer networks from cyber attacks. The findings include how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is addressing the growing number of attacks as more breaches and examples of data theft come to light each month as well as recommendations on how to move forward.

Frost & Sullivan is releasing the paper to coincide with the start of National Cyber Security Month. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will address the topic, which has recently garnered national headlines. According to Symantec's "Norton Cybercrime Report" released in September, the initial financial cost of global cybercrime is estimated at $114 billion annually. At the same time, McAfee reported two months ago that at least six U.S. federal government agencies and 13 defense contractors had been the subjects of cyber attacks as part of a wider operation that infiltrated 72 organizations in 14 countries. This one operation has been going on since at least 2006.

"Incidents of network breaches and cyber espionage as well as the ever-increasing possibility of an effective cyber attack against the national critical infrastructure reveal an urgent need for more private sector companies and the general public to understand the role the federal government plays in protecting our networks and confronting the cyber threat," said Frost & Sullivan's Network Security Research Director Robert Ayoub. "One of the most interesting findings the paper highlights is the need for more participation in the Department of Homeland Security's cyber security programs across the entire U.S. Government."

The white paper details the federal government's cyber security strategy, structure and assigned responsibilities including a focus on DHS's United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). As a means to develop, test and improve cyber security strategy, DHS created US-CERT in 2003 as the central institution responsible for defending federal, state and local governments from cyber attacks and coordinate the response to cyber events affecting private enterprises, academia, and individuals.

"US-CERT is the first responder in cyber space," said Ayoub. "If you want to understand how our government will react to a major cyber event, you have to start with the US-CERT. Our research highlights the growth of this program over the past decade and the direction the Obama Administration is taking it."

Please click here, if you are interested in receiving a copy of, Defending the Homeland in Cyber Space: Developing, Testing and Improving Cyber Security Strategy white paper.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan (frost.com), the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents.

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