Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson urged all U.S. companies to view the massive hack into Sony Pictures’ computer systems and website as a wake-up call to strengthen their cybersecurity protections.
“Every CEO should take this opportunity to assess their company’s cybersecurity,” he said. “Every business in this country should seek to employ best practices in cybersecurity.”
Calling the destructive cyber assault on Sony an attack on America’s “freedom of expression and way of life,” he said the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies are prepared to help all U.S. companies beef up their security systems to guard against malware and sophisticated hacks. The hacking included deleting data on hard drives and stealing executives’ e-mails and internal documents.
“We seek to raise the level of cybersecurity in both the private sector and civilian government, and provide timely information to protect all our systems against cyber threats,” he said.
Those businesses and other organizations that want to improve their cybersecurity, he said, should visit the DHS website and review the Cybersecurity Framework section, which he said lays out the best methods developed by government and the private sector.
Johnson’s statement comes one day after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blasted the administration for not doing more to raise awareness about the threat of cybersecurity. As the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain said he planned to create a cybersecurity subcommittee to help assess the threat the issue poses and scrutinize the federal government preparations for inevitable future attacks.
