Fergie's Tech Blog

Attack by Korean Hacker Prompts U.S. DoD Cyber Debate

Josh Rogin writes on FCW.com:

Defense Department computer networks are probed and attacked hundreds of time each day. But a recent attack on the civilian Internet is causing DOD officials to re-examine whether the policies under which they fight cyber battles are tying their hands.

“This is an area where technology has outstripped our ability to make policy,” said Air Force Gen. Ronald Keys, Commander of Air Combat Command. “We need to have a debate and figure out how to defend ourselves.”

Unlike in the war on terror, DOD can’t go after cyber attackers who plan or discuss crimes until they act, Keys said. Web sites in other countries are beyond DOD‘s reach, he added. “If they’re not in the United States, you can’t touch 'em.”

Keys said it would probably take a cyber version of the 9/11 attacks to make the U.S. realize that barriers to action in cyberspace should be re-evaluated.

posted by Fergie @ 2/09/2007 05:15:00 PM