In his latest book, Richard A. Clarke paints a sombre picture of America's defenses against digital terror and related dangers in a bid to sensitize the government and major US corporations to a growing risk of assault. In a strongly critical tone, he points out a series of weak links in America's cybersecurity system and sets out to present possible solutions that can patch it up.

For Clarke, it all starts with insufficient awareness of imminent threats, especially among business leaders, which is much lower than in some European countries. UK government had requested Britain's biggest companies to simulate having been attacked in order to go through procedures and hone security methods. With such issues glaringly absent from executive training, American decision-makers focus too much on visual representation of their companies, forgetting that appealing web design must go hand in hand with digital security measures.

Too few corporations invest in off-line computer networks which are isolated from the Internet and free from hacking. Falling back on them in emergencies can be a matter of life and death in case major digital threats occur, ravishing parts of the web-based resources.

In critical industries and for highly sensitive data, government institutions and corporations are too slow to develop their own, unique security measures. It is important since relying on commonly known, commercial applications makes it easier for intruders to go around them as they are exposed to and experienced with these products elsewhere. It might mean higher immediate costs, but also greater peace of mind in the long run.

He also suggests that international institutions give the issue of digital security greater prominence and push for wide-ranging agreements that commit governments not to back hacking in a number of key sectors.

With his experience in government institutions, Clarke is well positioned to judge on issues of digital dangers and his recommendations are worth listening to by business leaders and politicians.