Security through Philanthropy

Society and technology mirror each other
Computers network because people network.  Local applications are our inner monologue and data packets on wires are words spoken to a listening ear.  The PC evolved because individuals like to be productive on their own projects, but the Internet was inevitable as we are naturally social creatures.

Society can not look to technology to solve its problems

Freely flowing information can accelerate the pace at which organizations work towards their  goals, but the presence of technology does not change those goals.  As technology mirrors society we can't assume technological breakthroughs to solve intrinsically social problems.  The ability to create an Alcoholics Anonymous website will only help the alcoholic if the person decides to put forth the effort.  

Cyber-security is needed because of cyber-criminals
If people were perfectly honest then encryption would be superfluous, doors wouldn't need locks, and all that effort could be put towards solving humanities other problems.  People are not perfect, and security is needed.  However, the amount of security is variable.  The more civilized the society, the less effort is required to self-regulate, and the more actual productive work can be done.

Cure the criminal to curb the chaos
Thus, while encryption schemes, firewalls, and other security measures are necessary for the foreseeable future, an equally important role in cyber-security is the work on education, removing hunger, fighting discrimination, and generally making man-kind more united.  If we are all our brothers keeper then there will be no one left to write the viruses.

The Wild Wild Web

Is retaliation the answer to cyber attacks?  Sometimes.  If someone steals my TV then I have a right to get that TV back and society has a right to impose a negative penalty on the thief.  When society has the power to impose that negative penalty then there is no call for vigilateism.  However, we live in a time where jurisdictions are plentiful and overlapping, and many digital crimes can be broken into many pieces, each of which is legal somewhere.  Where do you turn for protection when global network connections stitch together the weakest pieces of each legal system?  How do you gain recompense when no single authority can right, or even prevent, the wrong?  Sometimes you can't. When there is an assurance that an attacker will not relent, and there is no assurance of defense from anyone with authority, then we, as humans, are inherently endowed with the authority to defend ourselves from current, and all future attacks.