Self‐Organizing vs. Standards‐Based System‐Security Strategy: Conflict or Synergy?

Current system security strategies are failing because attack communities operate as intelligent, multi-agent, self organizing, system-of-systems – with swarm intelligence, tight learning loops, fast evolution, and dedicated intent. With few exceptions, the systems being targeted are alone, senseless and defenseless – relying on outside benevolence to protect them, whether that be third party security systems, laws and penalties, adherence to security standards, or perceived probabilities of being an overlooked target. These attack communities range from technologically savvy guerrillas and terrorists practicing so-called 4 generation warfare against social infrastructure systems; to system hacker communities empowered by ubiquitous access to tools, techniques, and targets. In the mix we see systems targeted by organized crime, entrepreneurial criminals, nation-states, grass-roots multi-agent swarms, and independent back-yard system hackers.