Q Module 2 The U.S. response to cybersecurity threats has been criticized as disjointed and lacking leadership. At present the responsibility is divided between multiple executive departments with different authorities. Newmeyer (2012) argued for greater budgetary control and a powerful cyberczar. The GAO report (Wilshusen & Barkakati, 2013) also points to lack of clear responsibilities in the U.S. government regarding cyber threats and responses. Dunn-Cavelty (2014) pointed to the risks of securitization. The public demands something be done but what? The module learning outcomes addressed in this activity are: • Explain the roles and responsibilities of the various U.S. executive branch departments in developing and executing national cybersecurity policy; (CO #3) • Describe cyber threats to U.S. national security including critical infrastructure, espionage, economic disruption, and criminal activity. (CO #3) The input of each student adds value to the course and creates a better experience for everyone. Although this is an online asynchronous course that you can access on your own schedule, your regular participation is mandatory. You will be expected to log in and participate at least two times per week on separate days throughout the term. When participating in the discussion forums, be both honest and respectful of ideas and comments from your classmates. Please remember the board discussions take place in an open forum, so refrain from vulgar language and racial, sexist, or any other comments that an individual might find offensive. Please contribute at least one original post, due on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, with at least two substantive replies to fellow students posted by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Keep in mind that if reply posts come in Sunday evening, this is not a robust discussion. I reserve the right to ask you to contribute sooner or more frequently if this will enhance learning. Question After completing the assigned readings for the module, please respond to the following question in your initial post: • Current U.S. Federal Government policy divides cybersecurity responsibilities among multiple departments including Homeland Security, Defense, and Justice. Some authors have criticized this as ineffective and cyber threats continue to increase. Describe how you would organize the government response and include your reasoning for changes or maintenance of the status quo. Please cite course materials and/or outside scholarly research to support your conclusions. Response: Your replies to classmates must be substantive; posting “I agree” is a start, but you also need to explain why. Replies should contribute to the discussion as a whole by integrating what you have learned from your required readings. When participating in the discussion forums, be both honest and respectful of ideas and comments from your classmates. Please remember the board discussions take place in an open forum, so refrain from vulgar language and racial, sexist, or any other comments that an individual might find offensive. Use the EC Library resources for research assistance and to properly cite your work: • Military Leadership Research Guide (Links to an external site.) • National Security Research Guide (Links to an external site.) • Plagiarism & Copyright (Links to an external site.) • Excelsior Library Writing Help (Links to an external site.) • APA Citation Help (Links to an external site.) • Excelsior College Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Links to an external site.) Consult the Discussion Posting Guide for information about writing your discussion posts. It is recommended that you write your post in a document first. Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. This is a “post first” discussion forum, which means you must submit your initial post before you can view other students’ posts. When you are ready to make your initial post, click on "Reply." Then copy/paste the text into the message field, and click “Post Reply.” To respond to a peer, click “Reply” beneath her or his post and continue as with an initial post. Evaluation This discussion will be graded using the SPS Default Discussion Rubric. Please review this rubric, located on the Rubrics page within the Start Here module of the course, prior to beginning your work to ensure your participation meets the criteria in place for this discussion. All discussions combined are worth 30% of your final course grade.