Thursday’s chain of service disruptions has raised concerns regarding potential threats to national security and critical infrastructure, as highlighted by a cautionary statement from a law professor.
During an interview on “FOX & Friends” Friday, Carl Szabo, who serves as Vice President and general counsel at NetChoice, underscored the growing frequency of cyberattacks. Szabo pointed out that a staggering 99% of cyberattacks evade prosecution, indicating a significant gap in addressing these security challenges.
The day commenced with a widespread outage experienced by AT&T, impacting key metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Miami. Despite initial assurances from authorities that no evidence suggested a cyberattack, reports emerged of delays in prescription orders due to a cyber incident targeting Change Healthcare, a prominent healthcare technology company.
According to Szabo, most cyberattacks take an average of 280 days to trace, suggesting potential foreign involvement in the recent incidents. He emphasized the urgent need for law enforcement intervention, citing past instances such as the Sony hack orchestrated by North Korea and the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.
To mitigate future cyber threats, Szabo recommended adopting proactive security measures such as implementing unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication to safeguard personal information.
While AT&T attributed its outage to a software glitch, Change Healthcare has yet to provide a definitive timeline for service restoration.
Szabo concluded by stressing the importance of maintaining technological independence, urging the United States to preserve its leadership role in the global technology sector and not compromise its technological sovereignty, particularly in light of recent developments impacting energy independence.
