scope of the department, the third largest in the federal government, after Defense and Veterans Affairs.
They reached an anonymous-looking building that could have once been a dormitory. Craig took him inside and Jake was hit by the odor of moldy carpeting.
Craig’s office was adjacent to a janitor’s broom closet, which had the smell of standing water. His computer sat unused behind his desk, and he didn’t bother to turn it on.
Was this the department that coordinated the nation’s cyber security?
Jake decided to cut to the chase. “I don’t know if computers are your bag, but I’m hoping that DHS is the place that looks after the nation’s cyber security.”
“It is. You have come to the right place.”
Jake was relieved. He had found the right department on his first try.
“How can we help you?” Craig adjusted his weight in his chair to a more comfortable position.
“Specifically, I’m trying to prevent a potentially disastrous cyber attack,” Jake said.
“Stop right there. Did you say ‘prevent’?”
Jake nodded.
Craig pulled a stack of four-color pamphlets to the center of his desk. They all bore the eagle seal of DHS. Each pamphlet represented a different agency within the department. “Prevention falls into several categories,” Craig said. “If you want to foil a certain party from carrying out a cyber attack, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Uh, that’s kind of what I had in mind.”
“Sorry.” Craig waved a pamphlet at him. “Here we have a large division dedicated to identifying holes in our cyber security. That’s the National Cyber Security Division in the Office of Cyber Security and Communications. They maintain a comprehensive response system, help manage risk and set requirements for cyber security around the country.”
“That’s not what I need,” Jake said. “That’s too theoretical. I need to thwart a specific attack.”
“Now, if you need to study the technology behind the threat, you could go to our Science and Technology Directorate. They can help you ramp up your defenses.”
“I’m talking about a threat to the entire system,” Jake said. “I don’t want to secure just one computer.”
Craig frowned. “What do you mean ‘the entire system’? That sounds pretty comprehensive.”
“I’m talking about people, maybe hackers, maybe an entire government, who might want to compromise the A root server, the computer that holds all the DNS names.”
Craig snatched up another pamphlet. “Then you need our Cyber Security Research and Development Center.”
That sounded promising, except for the word “Research.”
Craig thumbed through the pamphlet. “Let’s see. It says here that the R&D Center works to perfect the internet’s routing infrastructure and Domain Name System. Does that sound right to you?”
“Yeah, everything but the ‘research’ part.” What Jake was looking for was law enforcement. “Listen, your department has the Secret Service, Coast Guard, and Border Control. You carry guns. You arrest people. Can’t you carry out a simple operation against hackers?”
Craig’s head was still in the pamphlet. “…says they identify database theft and other such criminal activity.”
“I’m sorry. I’m talking about someone hacking into the internet’s Domain Name System. That could affect any industry from banking and finance to manufacturing to Google and Facebook and Apple and Dell Computers and Blackberrys. For that matter, someone could make the entire economy come to a screeching halt.”
That got Craig’s attention. “We do work on occasion with the Department of Defense. Maybe that’s where you ought to start.”
Jake was already getting that impression.
“Look, you guys do all sorts of useful things, stuff that needs to be done. But I think I came to the wrong place. I need to know who’s behind the attack we suspect might happen.”
Craig silently gathered up his pamphlets.
“I do appreciate your
They reached an anonymous-looking building that could have once been a dormitory. Craig took him inside and Jake was hit by the odor of moldy carpeting.
Craig’s office was adjacent to a janitor’s broom closet, which had the smell of standing water. His computer sat unused behind his desk, and he didn’t bother to turn it on.
Was this the department that coordinated the nation’s cyber security?
Jake decided to cut to the chase. “I don’t know if computers are your bag, but I’m hoping that DHS is the place that looks after the nation’s cyber security.”
“It is. You have come to the right place.”
Jake was relieved. He had found the right department on his first try.
“How can we help you?” Craig adjusted his weight in his chair to a more comfortable position.
“Specifically, I’m trying to prevent a potentially disastrous cyber attack,” Jake said.
“Stop right there. Did you say ‘prevent’?”
Jake nodded.
Craig pulled a stack of four-color pamphlets to the center of his desk. They all bore the eagle seal of DHS. Each pamphlet represented a different agency within the department. “Prevention falls into several categories,” Craig said. “If you want to foil a certain party from carrying out a cyber attack, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Uh, that’s kind of what I had in mind.”
“Sorry.” Craig waved a pamphlet at him. “Here we have a large division dedicated to identifying holes in our cyber security. That’s the National Cyber Security Division in the Office of Cyber Security and Communications. They maintain a comprehensive response system, help manage risk and set requirements for cyber security around the country.”
“That’s not what I need,” Jake said. “That’s too theoretical. I need to thwart a specific attack.”
“Now, if you need to study the technology behind the threat, you could go to our Science and Technology Directorate. They can help you ramp up your defenses.”
“I’m talking about a threat to the entire system,” Jake said. “I don’t want to secure just one computer.”
Craig frowned. “What do you mean ‘the entire system’? That sounds pretty comprehensive.”
“I’m talking about people, maybe hackers, maybe an entire government, who might want to compromise the A root server, the computer that holds all the DNS names.”
Craig snatched up another pamphlet. “Then you need our Cyber Security Research and Development Center.”
That sounded promising, except for the word “Research.”
Craig thumbed through the pamphlet. “Let’s see. It says here that the R&D Center works to perfect the internet’s routing infrastructure and Domain Name System. Does that sound right to you?”
“Yeah, everything but the ‘research’ part.” What Jake was looking for was law enforcement. “Listen, your department has the Secret Service, Coast Guard, and Border Control. You carry guns. You arrest people. Can’t you carry out a simple operation against hackers?”
Craig’s head was still in the pamphlet. “…says they identify database theft and other such criminal activity.”
“I’m sorry. I’m talking about someone hacking into the internet’s Domain Name System. That could affect any industry from banking and finance to manufacturing to Google and Facebook and Apple and Dell Computers and Blackberrys. For that matter, someone could make the entire economy come to a screeching halt.”
That got Craig’s attention. “We do work on occasion with the Department of Defense. Maybe that’s where you ought to start.”
Jake was already getting that impression.
“Look, you guys do all sorts of useful things, stuff that needs to be done. But I think I came to the wrong place. I need to know who’s behind the attack we suspect might happen.”
Craig silently gathered up his pamphlets.
“I do appreciate your
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