National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command Chief: U.S. Under Constant Cyber Attack Threat

Top General Says U.S. Under Constant Cyber Attack Threat -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The top U.S. general in charge of cyber security warned on Tuesday that the United States is increasingly vulnerable to attacks like those that destroyed data on tens of thousands of computers in Saudi Arabia and South Korea in the past year.

Army General Keith Alexander, who heads the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit in Washington that U.S. computer networks were already under constant attack and billions of dollars worth of intellectual property were flowing out of the country each year.

"Mark my words, it's going to get worse. The disruptive and destructive attacks on our country will get worse and ... if we don't do something, the theft of intellectual property will get worse," Alexander said at the summit.

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My Comment: General Keith Alexander .... who heads the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command .... has certainly been convincing enough to be be given the budget and resources to combat these threats.

U.S. Official: Cyberattacks Can Trigger Self-Defense Rule And The Use Of Military Force

The Air Force Space Command Network Operations and Security Centre in Colorado. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

U.S. Official Says Cyberattacks Can Trigger Self-Defense Rule -- Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post

Cyberattacks can amount to armed attacks triggering the right of self-defense and are subject to international laws of war, the State Department’s top lawyer said Tuesday.

Spelling out the U.S. government’s position on the rules governing cyberwarfare, Harold Koh, the department’s legal adviser, said a cyber-operation that results in death, injury or significant destruction would probably be seen as a use of force in violation of international law.

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My Comment: It is interesting that this aggressive cyber-military policy is being advocated by the US at the same time that cyber attacks against Iran's nuclear program are escalating, as well reports that Iran is already retaliating against specific U.S. targets.

Cyber Command News Updates -- September 24, 2010

Cyber Command Chief Proposes Secure Network For Government, Key Industries -- Washington Post

The commander of the new Pentagon unit charged with protecting the military's computer networks wants to create a "secure" network for government computer systems and those of critical industries, such as power and water.

That strategy of walling off critical computer networks from the rest of the Internet "is probably where you're going to get to, and it makes a lot of sense," said Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, who heads the recently launched U.S. Cyber Command. Alexander also directs the National Security Agency, which conducts electronic surveillance on foreign targets.

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More News On Cyber Command

Alexander Details U.S. Cyber Command Gains -- U.S. Department of Defense
Cyberwar Chief Calls for Secure Computer Network -- New York Times
Cyber Command Director: U.S. Needs To Secure Critical Infrastructure -- Mil-Tech
US reviewing ways to fight cyber attacks: general -- AFP
Cyber Command chief suggests Pentagon networks are vulnerable -- Christian Science Monitor
Cyber Command Chief Warns of National Vulnerabilities -- Signal Online
Gaps in authority hamper military against cyber-attacks -- Washington Times
Cybercom Chief: Cyber Criminals Steal $300 Millions’ Worth of Intellectual Property Every Year -- The New New Internet
Pentagon Faces Massive Cyber Threats -- Voice of America
Agencies aim to bolster cybersecurity -- Washington Post
U.S. military eyes cyber defenses for banks, grid -- Reuters
Military’s Cyber Commander Swears: “No Role” in Civilian Networks -- The Danger Room
NSA chief envisions 'secure zone' on Internet to guard against attacks -- The Hill
Warriors in the battle for cyberspace -- Washington Post
White House reviews nation's cybersecurity -- Washington Post

Welcome To U.S. Cyber Command

Introducing U.S. Cyber Command -- William J. Lynn III, Wall Street Journal Opinion

More than 100 foreign intelligence agencies and militaries threaten U.S. defense networks.

The eye blinks in just over 300 milliseconds. In that time a computer message can travel twice around the world, transmitting a virus or malicious computer code across the Internet to disrupt or destroy crucial military networks.

Military computers, just like your home computer, are subject to viruses and malware that can adversely affect their operation. Military networks are also vulnerable to intrusion and theft, but not only by identify thieves and credit card scammers.

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My Comment: When it comes to government programs .... I am very skeptical. When it comes to new U.S. military programs .... I am super skeptical. The ability of this new agency will only be known when a full scale cyber attack against our communications and defense networks occurs .... until then .... I guess we will have to assume that what we have (and what we will have in the future) will be more than enough to do the job.

Does The U.S. Cyber Command Have A Mission?

Meet Your New Commander-in-Geek -- Reason

U.S. Cyber Command has no idea why it exists.

This headline is not from The Onion:

US appoints first cyber warfare general: Pentagon creates specialist online unit to counter cyber attack amid growing fears of militarisation of the internet.

On Friday, newly-created U.S. Cyber Command—that's USCYBERCOM to those in the know—got itself a general. One small problem: It's not clear that anyone, even four-star general and National Security Agency head Keith Alexander, knows what U.S. Cyber Command is supposed to do now that it exists. The commerical Internet has been around since about 1995, but in recent years folks at the Pentagon and White House seem to have been struck with a similar thought: "Hey, we should do something about those Internets, huh?" The longing for a cyber command of some kind dates back at least to President George W. Bush, and the project continued merrily along under President Barack Obama with the inexorable force of a government program that nobody really wants, but no one wants to be the one to kill.

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My Comment: You would think that this would have all been sorted out before the first dollar was committed to it .... but apparently not.