Computer Security Systems

The word “hacking” has preconceived connotations, and most people don't quite grasp the whole concept that goes into the process of hacking. Hackers have a notorious reputation. But there’s a side of hacking that most people aren’t aware of: ethical hacking. You don't hear about the ethical hacking in the news, but there are people out there with the same job description fighting the malicious hackers daily, and they get the bad rep.

What do you know about hacking a computer system? If you are like most of us, you can't even get into your own computer if you've forgotten the password. The good news is that hacking is actually a lot easier than you think, and anyone can learn how to do it. As long as you are willing to do the work and to work through the steps patiently, you will also be able to hack the systems that you want to.

When cybersecurity expert Jake Braun challenged hackers at DEFCON, the largest hacking conference in the world, to breach the security of an American voting machine, a hacker in Europe conquered the task in less than two minutes. From hacking into voting machines to more mundane, but no less serious problems, America's democracy faces unprecedented tests from within and without.

Electricity is essentially the lifeblood of the modern, technological society that we enjoy, for without it, the devices and machinery that enable our economy would not be able to function. The US grid is aging, and one of the tools for modernizing the system is the incorporation of computerized systems that allow for the rapid monitoring and control of the equipment used in the grid. Connecting these systems to the internet has increased the ability to remotely control aspects of the grid, but this has come with increasing concern for the grid’s cybersecurity.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 20211 (CAA) requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to submit annually for seven years a report focused on cybersecurity to Congress. The CAA calls for a description of measures the Board has undertaken to strengthen cybersecurity within the financial services sector and with respect to the Board’s functions as a regulator, including the supervision and regulation of financial institutions and third-party service providers.

This document recommends guidelines for providers of any systems that use artificial intelligence (AI), whether those systems have been created from scratch or built on top of tools and services provided by others. Implementing these guidelines will help providers build AI systems that function as intended, are available when needed, and work without revealing sensitive data to unauthorized parties.

The OCC charters, regulates, and supervises national banks and federal savings associations and licenses, regulates, and supervises federal branches and agencies of foreign banking organizations (collectively the “federal banking system”). As of September 30, 2022, the federal banking system comprised 1,035 banks operating in the United States. In total, the banks within the federal banking system, excluding federal branches and agencies of foreign banks, hold $15.2 trillion of all assets of US commercial banks (64 percent of the total assets held by all US commercial banks).