The Obama administration needs to strengthen US cyber-defences
John Stokes 7:12pm
Three major cyber attacks on America’s infrastructure from either Russia or China have sent shockwaves through the Obama administration. In the past few weeks, there have been penetrations of the nation’s power grid, the water supply system and the Air Force’s air traffic control network. All of which have heightened the fear of an “electronic Pearl Harbour”, whereby the US is brought to its knees via digital sabotage.
While the latest attacks did not result in significant damage, they demonstrated just how easy it could have been to turn off the power across much of America or interrupt the water supply. The probe of the Air Force’s networks raised the spectre of jets crashing as both pilots and ground controllers lost control and visibility.
The outgoing Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Mike McConnell, has briefed both military leaders and senior staff in the White House about the threat. And Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff, has been closely engaged in trying to develop a new policy that stands some chance of success. Successive administrations have appointed a number of Cyber Czars to try and defend the nation’s critical infrastructure, but the position has proved largely powerless and many of the people appointed have been time-serving incompetents.
As a result, foreign countries such as China, Iran and Russia have launched millions of attacks every day against the US government and the private sector stealing billions of dollars of trade and business secrets and leaving behind an untold number of electronic spies inside networks.
Cyber experts have been warning for years that America is the number one target for cyber attacks, and US intelligence has tracked a massive spike in attacks in recent years. China is responsible for many of the millions of cyber probes that happen every day, and the Beijing government is believed to have set up a special division of the People’s Liberation Army with responsibility for all things cyber. By contrast, the US response is fragmented, lacks any effective leadership and has no coherent strategy.
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THX1138
February 3rd, 2009 7:21pm Report this commentThis is the plot of the new season of 24.
HalcyonDays
February 3rd, 2009 7:40pm Report this commentNot specially doubting you, but can you provide substantiation or a source for those three cyber-attacks ?
TrevorsDen
February 3rd, 2009 10:22pm Report this commentCyber space?
What about real space? Iran has just launched a satellite.
Seems to have caught everybody by surprise, so it does not hold out much hope for accurate monitoring of its nuclear programme.
It also questions efforts to abolish our nuclear deterrent.
(My view is we need 'the bomb' but not necessarily new missiles or submarines)
TGF UKIP
February 3rd, 2009 10:33pm Report this commentIf the doctrine of pre-emption really had replaced NSC68, then here would be the occasion for it to take its place.
Anything China, Russia, Iran or France can do the US will be able to do to hugely greater effect.
A massive unspoken retaliation against one or all, should get the message across.
Hawkeye
February 3rd, 2009 10:39pm Report this commentWell, according to the Yanks one bloke (Gary Mckinnon) nearly wrecked the whole of their military infrastructure by himself and they want to throw him in prison for 70 years. So if one bloke can (allegedly) manage it from his back room I imagine the KGB and other would not find it too challenging.
For more on McKinnon see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon
Stewart
February 4th, 2009 4:12am Report this commentFirstly, why is Rahm Emanuel involved in coming up with a successful policy to combat cyber attacks? Surely this should be left to people with experience of cyber warfare. Secondly, it is likely that clandestine operations are ongoing to track down and eliminate the most serious of these hackers. The others that are discovered in the western world will presumably be detained and brought to trial if their crimes are that serious. Sure some always evade detection and evidence gathering and that is where fresh thinking is required but why is the white house chief of staff involved and not boffins and national security experts from the intelligence community, industry and military involved. Emanuel is a glorified office manager, not an expert. Also, presumably the US and other western govts have computer experts capable of hacking the networks of undesirable regimes around the world. Can't we threaten to make life as difficult for them without actually committing casus belli?
John McClane
February 4th, 2009 7:45am Report this commentWhat? They haven't seen Die Hard 4.0?
Ray
February 4th, 2009 11:12am Report this commentShould not the United States quietly drop the hint that cyber attacks on its networks by other nations will be responded to in kind?
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