The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning a large-scale test, to be held in early 2008, of the nation’s response to a cyberattack.The test will be a follow-up to the February 2006 Cyber Storm test, which was billed as the largest-ever U.S. government online attack simulation.Cyber Storm 2 will be conducted in March 2008, said Gregory Garcia, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications with DHS, speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco last week. Like the first Cyber Storm, this exercise will evaluate the ability of the public and private sector to provide a coordinated response to a large-scale cyber event, he said.The second Cyber Storm test, which is in the planning stages right now, will include a greater number of participants than its predecessor, said Tiffany Jones, senior regional manager for government relations with Symantec. In particular, the number of international participants will be increased, she said. Symantec was one of about 30 corporations that participated in the first exercise, and will also be involved in Cyber Storm 2, she said.The first Cyber Storm drew 115 organizations from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Participants included Microsoft, Verisign, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. National Security Agency. Next year’s test is expected to bring in corporate players from outside of the IT industry that were not involved in the first exercise—transportation and chemical companies for example, Jones said.She said the DHS plans to host additional Cyber Storm events beyond 2008 on a biannual basis.Security experts say that Cyber Storm has improved participants’ understanding of whom to call in the event of an attack, but hasn’t necessarily identified specific vulnerabilities in the nation’s computer systems. “What they’re trying to do is highlighting the inefficiencies in the process,” said Marcus Sachs, deputy director with research group SRI International’s Computer Science Laboratory. “They’re not really looking for technical solutions.” -Robert McMillan, IDG News Service Related content news Chinese state actors behind espionage attacks on Southeast Asian government The distinct groups of activities formed three different clusters, each attributed to a specific APT group. By Shweta Sharma Sep 25, 2023 4 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks feature How to pick the best endpoint detection and response solution EDR software has emerged as one of the preeminent tools in the CISO’s arsenal. Here’s what to look for and what to avoid when choosing EDR software. By Linda Rosencrance Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Intrusion Detection Software Security Monitoring Software Data and Information Security feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Data and Information Security IT Leadership brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe