Crowdsourcing America’s Cybersecurity

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/crowdsourcing-america-s-cybersecurity-is-an-idea-so-crazy-it-might-just-work-dominic-basulto-1.9908877

There is no doubt that in our world today we are virtually dependent on cyberspace, and in no way is that dependence coming to a halt. Yet with this dependence brings on the threat of hackers, and the security, or lack thereof, leaves society in vulnerable situations due to the amount of delicate information that is shared within the cyber world. The article I am sharing addresses the idea of using crowdsourcing as a defense against cyber-attacks. It is not necessarily a new concept, as groups like the Conficker Working Group came about in 2008 when more than two dozen companies and agencies came together to combat major hacking threats. Crowdsourcing emanates the term ‘strength in numbers,’ which ultimately raises the chances of having a successful defense. Though the key word is chance; there will always be a dangers that may arise in any situation. The idea is to increase your probability to overcome these potential obstacles.

Questions:
1.) Can crowdsourcing benefit cybersecurity effectively and efficiently? Are Cyberattacks impossible to defend due to the constant evolution of hackers worldwide?
2.) Do the positives outweigh the negatives when implementing crowdsourcing? (As stated by Robert Ackerman, Jr., you don’t sincerely know who is contributing to any and every community, i.e. the “Trojan Horse” theory.)