Although the national security apparatus is unlikely to let its cyber guard down in the event of a partial government closure Oct. 1, cyber experts said there could be some associated electronic vulnerability, including large-scale attacks or employee-level breaches.
"With the White House, Congress and government agencies focused on the budget showdown, you'd think a non-state actor might think it's a good time" to launch an electronic attack against the U.S., said Trend Micro's vice president of cybersecurity, Tom Kellerman.
Today's electronic environment and cyber concerns are vastly different than they were during the last shutdown in 1996, he said. While electronic attacks weren't real concerns back then, "our adversaries now have attack code" that can be wielded relatively easily from anywhere at any time. Kellerman noted the shutdown might come only a week after a major terrorist assault was quelled in Africa and amid simmering tensions over Syria's use of chemical weapons.
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