Technology Trends

The risks associated with current and anticipated vulnerabilities of, threats to, and attacks against the IT infrastructure provide the rationale for this strategy. Fast-shifting trends in both technologies and threats make it likely that the security issues of the IT infrastructure will only intensify in the coming years.

Key areas of concern include:

• The increasing complexity of IT systems and networks, which will present mounting security challenges for both the providers and consumers
• The evolving nature of the telecommunications infrastructure, as the traditional phone system and IT networks converge into a more unified architecture
• The expanding wireless connectivity to individual computers and networks, which increases their exposure to attack. In hybrid or all-wireless network environments, the traditional defensive approach of securing the perimeter is not effective because it is increasingly difficult to determine the physical and logical boundaries of networks.
• The increasing interconnectivity and accessibility of (and consequently, risk to) computer-based systems that are critical to the countrys economy, including supply chain management systems, financial sector networks, and distributed control systems for factories and utilities
• The breadth and increasingly global nature of the IT supply chain, which will increase opportunities for subversion from attackers within and outside the country.