ON CYBER PATROL: Podcast interview with Marcus Sachs, director of the cyber security research center for the Department of Homeland Security

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Marcus Sachs can't believe the Internet's still running. What started as the Arpanet in 1969 -- a closely-held government and academic network -- was never intended for the heavy commercial use it's being subject to today.

"There are weaknesses in the infrastructure, the software and the way the Internet is built," he says. "But instead of the Internet collapsing, we're seeing a fertile playground for cyber-lawlessness."

One of the missions of the DHS is to find, isolate, and solve infrastructure problems before they become a matter of national security, he continues. And now that the cyber-information infrastructure has become a critical part of big business, CIOs need to follow suit.

"CIOs need to firmly understand the risks to their intellectual property and sensitive data. Then they need to drill down, isolate their critical systems, put people in charge of those systems, educate users, and update policies," says Sachs.

Meet Sachs and hear what he has to say about disturbing trends in online crime, what research is being funded by the DHS to combat these problems, and what enterprise organizations must do to protect their data and their users while at the same time bolstering our critical national infrastructure.

Resources

Marcus Sachs on Securing the Homeland

PING with Marcus Sachs

Three Minutes with Marcus Sachs

Bio

Marcus Sachs directs the Washington operations of the Cyber Security Research and Development Center. Supported by SRI International's Computer Science Laboratory under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Center is the primary vehicle through which the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) Cyber Security R&D programs are executed. Mr. Sachs' professional experience includes a 20-year military career in the United States Army followed by two years of federal civilian service at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.

Production Credits

Deborah Radcliff, Producer
Dana Farver, Executive Producer, Communities Editor-in-Chief
Tom Parish, Audio Producer, Show Host
Kimberly Stone, Web Development Manager
Scott Ebner, Web Developer