Cyber Safety generally refers to safety concerns regarding software and web-based systems. A major concern is the question of the high level of safety assurance efforts paid to aircraft, ship, train, truck and automobile transportation systems but not to computer systems on which so much is based. This issue is and will become more of a concern as our world becomes ever more tied to computer systems.
Nations (the United States and United Kingdom in particular) have accident investigation boards or agencies to investigate accidents involving aircraft, ships, trains, trucks and automobiles. (To a great degree banking & financial systems also receive similar attention.) But there are no such investigative boards or agencies for Information Technology (IT) systems when these systems are not tied to other systems already under the purview of safety boards or agencies.
The issue revolves around the lack of careful concerted review of what computing systems do and how they do it, in the context of effects upon people. A critical aspect here is that of investigating what went wrong and how to avoid it happening again, not on who to blame.
There are three main areas of concern for an IT accident (cyber safety) investigation: 1) loss of life, limb or liberty, 2) spectacular failure of an IT system, and 3) leakage of personal information. These are the areas that warrant careful scrutiny to avoid and prevent negative impacts upon civilized society.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month – observed every October – was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.
About Cybersecurity Awareness Month Read More
For well over a decade, I have been arguing that governments should create IT accident investigation boards for the exact same reasons they have done so for ships, railroads, planes, and in many cases, automobiles.
What Went Wrong? Read More