Just days after a massive cyber-attack blocked access to major e-commerce websites for many Americans, Connecticut law enforcement and leaders of the private sector are trying to figure out how to stop that kind of attack from happening here in the state.
Gov. Dannel Malloy joined leaders from around the region at the University of New Haven’s 25th annual Arnold Markle symposium Monday and the focus of the event this year turned its attention to cybercrimes and financial fraud because of the unprecedented number of attacks happening around the globe.
“It’s a major issue. It’s a daily threat here in America” Detective Mark Solomon, of the Greenwich Police Department, said Monday.
The governor estimates the state’s information system is attacked on some level between 150,000 and 200,000 times each month.
“We know that individuals are out there trying to access that system on an ongoing basis to try to access that information, discover information perhaps attack our financial capabilities” Malloy said. “I take this very, very seriously.”
Organizers of the event said stopping this kind of crime will take a global effort.
“We’re finding out that more and more of these crimes are happening all over the world, but especially in Connecticut. From the smallest data breach, to the biggest email hacking to stealing W2 forms from companies” State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo, of Stamford-Norwalk, said.
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The goal of the symposium’s participants is to get the private sector and law enforcement working together to share information, build stronger, better protected systems and stop online criminals before they can stop the web and the world in its tracks.
“It could shut down your airlines, your electric grids, if you’re not properly protected,” Patrick Malloy, director of University of New Haven’s masters of investigation graduate program, said.
