Introduction

Defcon is an international security event run annually in the US. The DEF CON Conference is one of the world’s most influential hacking conferences and has been thrilling us since 1993. During the event, Information Security professionals, researchers and hackers come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, learn and better understand the interdependency of technology and security. This year’s event took place in Las Vegas in August.

What is the Defcon Threat Level?

The Defcon system is a 5 level threat indicator, with increasing levels of danger. It was originally developed by the United States military to describe nuclear threats but is now widely used in the security industry for when an organism or system is believed to be at risk or is compromised.

Defcon 1: Maximum Readiness

Defcon 1 is the highest alert level and means that something of extreme seriousness is imminent or currently occurring. At this level, security and intelligence systems are under heightened alert, and surveillance and counter-measures are increased. The entire armed forces are considered to be on maximum alert and ready to respond to a major threat.

Defcon 2: High Readiness

Defcon 2 is the level when a heightened state of military readiness is required, to counter a perceived threat to national security. The armed forces are directed to be prepared to respond to any hostile action by hostile forces and to be ready to respond instantly. This is the second highest level of alert and can occur at any time due to a perceived threat.

Defcon 3: Increased Readiness

Defcon 3 is an intermediate stage of alert in which the armed forces are usually still on full alert but with a lessened level of preparedness. This level of alert is usually called for when there is elevated risk of a hostile action, and the armed forces are directed to remain on a heightened state of alert but with reduced capabilities and readiness levels.

Defcon 4: Normal Readiness

Defcon 4 is the lowest level of alert, in which the military personnel are on a normal state of alert and are not deployed as extensively as in the higher threat levels. This is the most common level of alert for the military, and it is usually called for when there is no immediate threat to national security and the military is on a normal state of alert.

Defcon 5: Low-Risk

Defcon 5 is the lowest possible level of threat, where the risk of a hostile action is considered to be close to nil and the armed forces are at a low level of readiness. The military is usually on a pre-planned state of alert during this level and is not expected to respond to any hostile action.

Conclusion

The Defcon threat level system is a way of measuring the risk that an organisation or entity could be about to face or is already exposed to. The five levels, from Defcon 1 through to Defcon 5, give an indication of the level of predictability of a threat and correspondingly what the level of preparation and response should be. Each level of alert should be evaluated individually within the context of the given threat situation, and appropriate security plans and measures must be put into place.