SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Former NSA Chief Will Work for Wall Street-backed 'Cyber War Council'
Keith Alexander slated to 'facilitate' government-industry effort to combat cyberattacks
Jul 09, 2014
Wall Street's largest trade group is proposing a government-industry coalition 'cyber war council'--and they've already snagged former NSA chief Keith Alexander to 'facilitate' that effort, according to a report in Bloomberg.
After Alexander's services were retained by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma), he managed to bring on Michael Chertoff, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, along with his firm Chertoff Group.
Alexander has reportedly pitched his services to multiple banking and trade organizations through his new consulting firm, IronNet Cybersecurity Inc., for up to $1 million per month.
The Bloomberg report draws on information obtained from an internal document dated June 27 and reportedly reveals that Sifma is looking to put together a committee that would consist of representatives from eight different U.S. government agencies, including the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, and be headed by a senior White House official.
According to Bloomberg:
The government-industry group would develop plans for "much quicker, near real-time" dissemination of information from agencies to the private sector and ways to "actively defend the industry" if preparations for a cyber attack are discovered in advance. Sifma is also seeking "pre-discussed and mutually understood protocols" for the industry to request government help during and after an attack.
Congressman Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) stated in an email to Bloomberg that he was worried that such a coalition sharing information in a 'near real-time' manner could lead to preemptive and possibly illegal attempts to thwart cyber attacks.
"Because of the murky nature of cybersecurity, I am concerned that a council like this might propose either physical attacks or cyberattacks by the U.S. military on the perceived source of the threats," Grayson said. "This could in effect make the banks part of what would begin to look like a war council."
In a letter (pdf) to Sifma, Consumer Bankers Association, and the Financial Services Roundtable in late June, Grayson touted the opinion of security expert Bruce Schneier that Alexander's proposed fee to the three groups of between $600,000 and $1 million per month is "on its face unreasonable," unless "he's giving them classified information."
Liz Pierce, a spokewoman for Sifma, declined to comment on the contents of the document, but stated that the group "is doing everything possible to help the industry prepare for and defend against cyberattacks."
The Senate Intelligence Committee voted on Tuesday to advance a bill aimed at boosting cooperation between government and private-sector cyber-defence efforts, including insulating banks from liability that might arise from the sharing of information for cybersecurity.
_____________________
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Max Ocean, Editorial Intern
Max Ocean was an editorial intern at Common Dreams in 2014. He now is Vice President at Subversive Malting & Brewing in Ithaca, NY.
Wall Street's largest trade group is proposing a government-industry coalition 'cyber war council'--and they've already snagged former NSA chief Keith Alexander to 'facilitate' that effort, according to a report in Bloomberg.
After Alexander's services were retained by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma), he managed to bring on Michael Chertoff, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, along with his firm Chertoff Group.
Alexander has reportedly pitched his services to multiple banking and trade organizations through his new consulting firm, IronNet Cybersecurity Inc., for up to $1 million per month.
The Bloomberg report draws on information obtained from an internal document dated June 27 and reportedly reveals that Sifma is looking to put together a committee that would consist of representatives from eight different U.S. government agencies, including the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, and be headed by a senior White House official.
According to Bloomberg:
The government-industry group would develop plans for "much quicker, near real-time" dissemination of information from agencies to the private sector and ways to "actively defend the industry" if preparations for a cyber attack are discovered in advance. Sifma is also seeking "pre-discussed and mutually understood protocols" for the industry to request government help during and after an attack.
Congressman Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) stated in an email to Bloomberg that he was worried that such a coalition sharing information in a 'near real-time' manner could lead to preemptive and possibly illegal attempts to thwart cyber attacks.
"Because of the murky nature of cybersecurity, I am concerned that a council like this might propose either physical attacks or cyberattacks by the U.S. military on the perceived source of the threats," Grayson said. "This could in effect make the banks part of what would begin to look like a war council."
In a letter (pdf) to Sifma, Consumer Bankers Association, and the Financial Services Roundtable in late June, Grayson touted the opinion of security expert Bruce Schneier that Alexander's proposed fee to the three groups of between $600,000 and $1 million per month is "on its face unreasonable," unless "he's giving them classified information."
Liz Pierce, a spokewoman for Sifma, declined to comment on the contents of the document, but stated that the group "is doing everything possible to help the industry prepare for and defend against cyberattacks."
The Senate Intelligence Committee voted on Tuesday to advance a bill aimed at boosting cooperation between government and private-sector cyber-defence efforts, including insulating banks from liability that might arise from the sharing of information for cybersecurity.
_____________________
Max Ocean, Editorial Intern
Max Ocean was an editorial intern at Common Dreams in 2014. He now is Vice President at Subversive Malting & Brewing in Ithaca, NY.
Wall Street's largest trade group is proposing a government-industry coalition 'cyber war council'--and they've already snagged former NSA chief Keith Alexander to 'facilitate' that effort, according to a report in Bloomberg.
After Alexander's services were retained by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma), he managed to bring on Michael Chertoff, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, along with his firm Chertoff Group.
Alexander has reportedly pitched his services to multiple banking and trade organizations through his new consulting firm, IronNet Cybersecurity Inc., for up to $1 million per month.
The Bloomberg report draws on information obtained from an internal document dated June 27 and reportedly reveals that Sifma is looking to put together a committee that would consist of representatives from eight different U.S. government agencies, including the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, and be headed by a senior White House official.
According to Bloomberg:
The government-industry group would develop plans for "much quicker, near real-time" dissemination of information from agencies to the private sector and ways to "actively defend the industry" if preparations for a cyber attack are discovered in advance. Sifma is also seeking "pre-discussed and mutually understood protocols" for the industry to request government help during and after an attack.
Congressman Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) stated in an email to Bloomberg that he was worried that such a coalition sharing information in a 'near real-time' manner could lead to preemptive and possibly illegal attempts to thwart cyber attacks.
"Because of the murky nature of cybersecurity, I am concerned that a council like this might propose either physical attacks or cyberattacks by the U.S. military on the perceived source of the threats," Grayson said. "This could in effect make the banks part of what would begin to look like a war council."
In a letter (pdf) to Sifma, Consumer Bankers Association, and the Financial Services Roundtable in late June, Grayson touted the opinion of security expert Bruce Schneier that Alexander's proposed fee to the three groups of between $600,000 and $1 million per month is "on its face unreasonable," unless "he's giving them classified information."
Liz Pierce, a spokewoman for Sifma, declined to comment on the contents of the document, but stated that the group "is doing everything possible to help the industry prepare for and defend against cyberattacks."
The Senate Intelligence Committee voted on Tuesday to advance a bill aimed at boosting cooperation between government and private-sector cyber-defence efforts, including insulating banks from liability that might arise from the sharing of information for cybersecurity.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy