The Department of Defense is considering options to create a computer network monitoring database in an effort to better identify and respond to cyber threats.
The database would monitor government and private networks, and participation in the program would be voluntary.
Marine Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle Jr., deputy commander of Cyber Command, said the system would pool threat and event information, and participants would have access to the available data.
The main benefit of the shared information database would be to allow the government to respond to cyber threats in a more unified manner, though Schmidle admits coordinating the data from multiple sources would represent a logistical challenge.
Privacy issues also pose a significant obstacle to the development of the database, and Schmidle indicated that he did not expect that the system would be developed or implemented any time soon.
The primary issues surrounding privacy have to do with defining the appropriate level of government involvement with corporate sector networks.
Schmidle notes that an effective cyber defense would require offensive operations capabilities on multiple networks.
Experts contend that the government still needs to develop a unified policy to coordinate cyber defense operations on a national level.
Source: http://defensesystems.com/articles/2011/02/02/dod-to-develop-cyber-database.aspx