The U.S. Cyber Threat Landscape

Abstract

Cybersecurity is concerned with protecting information, hardware, and software on the internet from unauthorized use, intrusions, sabotage, and natural disasters. It is the body of technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. The numerous ways in which computer systems and data can be compromised and the dramatic increase in cybercrimes have made cybersecurity a growing field. One of the most problematic elements of cybersecurity is the quick and constant evolving nature of security risks in critical infrastructure and major businesses all around the world. In this paper, we sketch a general frame for the cyber threat landscape in the United States of America by focusing on five major categories: ransomware, social engineering, third party software, deep fakes, and insider threats. We elaborate on each of these pillars by providing case studies from the past decade, as well as discussing ways to move forward.