mike leitner -- michael leiter, and bob butler on the center for a new american security, adjunct senior fellow with technology and the national script program. gentlemen, to start i think it's safe to say that the past year has not been a great one for cybersecurity writ large. we a target, ebay, neiman marcus, snapchat, chinese workers -- hackers, iranian hackers. what the council it seems like a surge in malicious online activity of all kinds recently? wade, let's start with you. >> i would actually say it's a commendation of things, some which is a change in the threat environment. in other words, there is an increase in attacks that comes through increasing move online. we as a huge number of devices and access more things for more places at all times. so that just increases the surface area over time and keeps doing that. what i also think that the mechanisms on which we come to know those things are also increasing. so they are not just happening, happening at a high frequency but we are seeing a higher proportion of them because of accountability and all kinds of disclosure and o

mike later, and bob butler from the center of new american security, add ju security. so gentlemen, to start. i think it's safe to say that the past year has not been a great one for cyber security at large. we had target, e bay, snap chat, what accounts for what seems like a surge in malicious online activity of all kinds recently. >> i would say it's a combination of things. some that are a change in the threat and environment. there is an increase in attacks that comes through an increasing move online. we use a huge number of devices, we access more things in more places at all times, and that increases the surface area overtime. and -- over time. so i think they're not just happening at a higher frequency, but we're seeing a higher proportion of them because of accountability and all kinds of other disclosures and things like that. >> i don't think it's particularly a rise, i think it's more awareness of what's happening. i think 2013 was the year of the retailer attack. they're increasingly going after our payment systems. gradually businesses, members of congres