U.S. Military announces cyber command
By Bob Ewing.
The "cyber command" is designed to wage digital warfare and to bolster defenses against mounting threats to the military's computer networks.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has formally established the command.
The first cyber command in the U.S. will begin operating in October and will operate under the U.S. Strategic Command.
"Cyber dominance" is now part of U.S. war doctrine as this announcement confirms. This development comes as alarm over the perceived threat posed by digital espionage coming from China, Russia and elsewhere grows .
U.S. officials say China has a sophisticated cyber warfare program and recent intrusions in the United States and elsewhere can be traced back to Chinese sources.
Lieutenant General Keith Alexander, the director of the super-secret National Security Agency (NSA), is anticipated to lead the command..
Alexander has described cyberspace as the new military frontier and could shape the future of national security, comparing it to sea or air power.
Not everyone agrees as some analysts have raised concerns a more aggresssive approach to cyber security could pose a possible threat to privacy and civil liberties as well as potential diplomatic dilemmas.
The command will streamline various cyber efforts across the armed forces and would not amount to a "militarization of cyberspace."
Fort Meade, Maryland is the likely location for the new command. The Pentagon will not be taking over security efforts for civilian networks from other government agencies.
The U.S. military relies on 15,000 networks and about seven million computers, with more than 100 foreign intelligence agencies trying to hack into U.S. networks.
Last week, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said, "Our defense networks are constantly under attack."
"They are probed thousands of times a day. They are scanned millions of times a day. And the frequency and sophistication of attacks are increasing exponentially," he said.
Criminal gangs and teenage hackers pose potential threats and could act as cyber mercenaries to foreign governments, Lynn said.
Lynn referred to cyberattacks that shut down Georgia's government and commercial web sites during Russia's military incursion in 2008..
Cyber command would focus on security efforts along with offensive capabilities to ensure "freedom of action in cyberspace" for the United States.
The precise details of U.S. cyber military power remain secret. However, it could include technology capable of penetrating and jamming networks, including the classified Suter airborne system.
PresidentObama has made cyber security a top priority and has announced plans for a national cyber defense coordinator.
A recent White House policy review said that "cybersecurity risks pose some of the most serious economic and national security challenges of the 21st century."
The government is moving to step up efforts to protect sensitive civilian and military networks, however, Obama has promised privacy rights would be carefully safeguarded.
The first cyber command in the U.S. will begin operating in October and will operate under the U.S. Strategic Command.
"Cyber dominance" is now part of U.S. war doctrine as this announcement confirms. This development comes as alarm over the perceived threat posed by digital espionage coming from China, Russia and elsewhere grows .
U.S. officials say China has a sophisticated cyber warfare program and recent intrusions in the United States and elsewhere can be traced back to Chinese sources.
Lieutenant General Keith Alexander, the director of the super-secret National Security Agency (NSA), is anticipated to lead the command..
Alexander has described cyberspace as the new military frontier and could shape the future of national security, comparing it to sea or air power.
Not everyone agrees as some analysts have raised concerns a more aggresssive approach to cyber security could pose a possible threat to privacy and civil liberties as well as potential diplomatic dilemmas.
The command will streamline various cyber efforts across the armed forces and would not amount to a "militarization of cyberspace."
Fort Meade, Maryland is the likely location for the new command. The Pentagon will not be taking over security efforts for civilian networks from other government agencies.
The U.S. military relies on 15,000 networks and about seven million computers, with more than 100 foreign intelligence agencies trying to hack into U.S. networks.
Last week, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said, "Our defense networks are constantly under attack."
"They are probed thousands of times a day. They are scanned millions of times a day. And the frequency and sophistication of attacks are increasing exponentially," he said.
Criminal gangs and teenage hackers pose potential threats and could act as cyber mercenaries to foreign governments, Lynn said.
Lynn referred to cyberattacks that shut down Georgia's government and commercial web sites during Russia's military incursion in 2008..
Cyber command would focus on security efforts along with offensive capabilities to ensure "freedom of action in cyberspace" for the United States.
The precise details of U.S. cyber military power remain secret. However, it could include technology capable of penetrating and jamming networks, including the classified Suter airborne system.
PresidentObama has made cyber security a top priority and has announced plans for a national cyber defense coordinator.
A recent White House policy review said that "cybersecurity risks pose some of the most serious economic and national security challenges of the 21st century."
The government is moving to step up efforts to protect sensitive civilian and military networks, however, Obama has promised privacy rights would be carefully safeguarded.
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