Technology

Cyber attacks down but actual risk may be rising

Wired and GCN report that cyber attacks have decreased but the actual risk of attacks may not be decreasing.

Federal News Network Staff

November 1, 2010 6:05 pm

< a min read

The number of attempted cyber attacks on Defense Department systems has fallen off this year, according to a draft report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, according to Wired’s Danger Room blog.

But experts from inside and outside DoD are warning that the study may be making an incorrect correlation between malicious cyber activity and actual risk.

Government Computer News reports the study said there were 71,000 attempted cyber attacks made last year, compared with 30,000 in the first half of this year.

The findings conflict with statements made by some officials at DoD who said the number of attacks and probes is actually rising. In the meantime, one cyber expert said in the Wired blog that the study does not take into account the increasing level of sophistication of cyber threats.

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