So where does that put us? Much of what Richard Clarke is concerned about is almost certainly real, and yet he delivers his message in a tempered professorial manner, which is far from the call-to-action that is needed here. He was in an “I told you so” situation with respect to 9-11, and he is likely to be in a similar situation when a cyber attack occurs, as it surely will. But being right isn’t good enough. And raising the public’s concerns and at the same time saying that it is unlikely that we will prepare to protect ourselves, doesn’t resolve the situation either. I described a similar dichotomy in my March 29, 2010 column “Cybergeddon … Ho Hum,” in which I recounted Retired Vice Admiral Michael McConnell saying that it will take a catastrophic cyber event to get greater government involvement.
What is it about cyber terrorism and cyber warfare that doesn’t seem to make an impression on the populace? Do they not believe these harbingers of doom? Do they think that there is nothing to be done? Are they hoping that, if they ignore it, it will go away? Clearly something is missing when some of the brightest and most knowledgeable minds in the country are not able to get people to respond. And here is Richard Clarke hammering away again and again, in fiction and in fact, with his warnings, seemingly to no avail. Why not?
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