The partial US government shutdown is thought to be putting the nation at serious risk of cyberattack, as thousands of employees who monitor the nation’s defense systems are not at work.
Experts warn that the country is at greater risk of falling victim to a major attack and falling behind in the cyber arms race, as the shutdown gives those who want to target the US an advantage.
Mike O’Malley, the vice president of strategy at the cloud defense firm Radware, told CBS News that with the shutdown, the US had “laid out the welcome mat to any and all nefarious actors.”
“Unfortunately, we know all too well from experience that hackers, especially nation-state sponsored, have a high level of patience and are willing to lie in wait for the most opportune moment to strike,” he said.
The US has identified Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as the nations that pose the biggest cybersecurity threats.
MIT’s Technology Review, citing a report from Duo Security, said that nearly 45% of employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, had been furloughed.
It said 85% of staff members at the National Institute of…
