Dark web is expanding, cybersecurity expert says

The dark web, a part of the internet only accessible with special software where personal information can be bought or sold, is bigger and more aggressive than anyone can understand, according to a former FBI agent and leader on national security policy.

Mike Rogers, who is also a former Michigan congressman and former chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was the keynote speaker for the Peter F. Secchia Breakfast Lecture.

The February 13 event was held at the L. William Seidman Center and sponsored by the Seidman College of Business.

Rogers said the dark web is hard to police because it's difficult to access and information sold on the site changes quickly. He said he is not a fan of bitcoin (an anonymous peer-to-peer payment system) as a way of protecting information during transactions because it is primarily used for illicit activity.

Rogers said, for many years, world leaders have perceived the U.S. as pulling back on national security, which has caused them to become more aggressive. "That is why, despite White House warnings, you see North Korea has launched another missile ," he said.

The cybersecurity expert gave examples of how hackers are manipulating devices globally and privately. He cited the 2014 computer attack on Sony by North Korea that wiped out more than half of the company's network and included stealing a movie. 

"Sony lost more than $80 million in that attack," said Rogers. "And, that information isn't coming back. It couldn't be recovered.

"In the private sector, hackers have been able to do things like stop a self-driving car that was going 70 mph and talk to a child through an interactive Barbie doll while that child was playing in a bedroom."

Rogers added that the thought of cybersecurity can be overwhelming; he advises that people take a deep breath. "I don't think anything is ever as bad as you see it in the news, and it's probably not as good as the other team is selling it in the news," he said.

Currently, Rogers hosts the nationally syndicated radio commentary "Something to Think About" on Westwood One. He is a CNN national security commentator, and hosts and produces CNN's "Declassified." Rogers sits on the board of IronNet Cybersecurity and MITRE Corporation, and advises Next Century Corporation and Trident Capital.