As cyberattacks mount, Pentagon looks for ways to retaliate | World Defense

As cyberattacks mount, Pentagon looks for ways to retaliate

Redheart

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As cyberattacks mount, Pentagon looks for ways to retaliate | Star Tribune

A barrage of cyberattacks on government agencies, blue-chip companies and critical infrastructure has prompted Pentagon officials to take a hard look at adapting the military concept that helped keep the world safe from nuclear bombings during the Cold War to the digital battlefield of the 21st century.

Mutually assured destruction, better known as MAD — the doctrine that a nuclear attack would be met with an equally devastating counterstrike — helped prevent the U.S. and the Soviet Union from using the massive arsenals they each amassed during four decades of armed standoff. Today, plans for “cyber deterrence” aim to develop an analogous ability for retaliation so overwhelming that it would prevent an adversary from attempting to breach federal computer networks.

National security officials have recently stepped up their public warnings about the need to build such a deterrent.

“If we do nothing, then one of the potential unintended consequences of this could be, does this send a signal to other nation states, other groups, other actors that this kind of behavior is OK and that you can do this without generating any kind of response?” Adm. Mike Rogers said in a recent speech.

Rogers, who is both the military’s top commander for cyber operations as head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colo., last week.

Without an aggressive U.S. response as a deterrent, a rise in destructive cyberattacks against government and business appears likely, a recent intelligence assessment predicted.

“Until such time as we come up with a form of deterrence that works, we’re going to have more and more of this,” said Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, also at the Aspen forum.

But despite a significant increase in the number of attacks, the Obama administration has not settled on a consistent policy for responding.

“This is a new realm of war,” said Peter W. Singer, co-author of the book “Cybersecurity and Cyberwar.”
 

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Many analysts have discussed the possibility of this so-called digital retaliation, but many agree that the U.S. will have a hard time combating the multiple venues of cyberattacks.

It's not just governments, many of the attack are third party or hired help from foreign nations, which puts the U.S. in a tough position as it could easily lead to economic problems or even sanctions if the "retaliation" is substantial enough.

The Administration has to be extremely caution in their steps ahead.
 
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Redheart

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Why not do exactly what the enemy is doing? Why not make the retaliation a black ops thing? The hacking activities can't be traced back to the government or any security agencies. Obviously those targeted will suspect that the U.S is involved but since they can't prove it, all they'll do is make the accusations, the U.S denies involvement . . . and life goes on, so to say.
 

MoneyFiend

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The U.S should use third party hacking groups to avoid public backlash (If they aren't already). I'm sure they are already actively doing what they can to retrieve information on high priority targets or aspects of other countries affairs despite international legislation and regulations against such activities. Being cyber based attacks however, tracking the source would often prove as illegitimate due to the simplicity of taking control of foreign computers for use as digital scapegoats.
 

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As cyberattacks mount, Pentagon looks for ways to retaliate | Star Tribune

A barrage of cyberattacks on government agencies, blue-chip companies and critical infrastructure has prompted Pentagon officials to take a hard look at adapting the military concept that helped keep the world safe from nuclear bombings during the Cold War to the digital battlefield of the 21st century.

Mutually assured destruction, better known as MAD — the doctrine that a nuclear attack would be met with an equally devastating counterstrike — helped prevent the U.S. and the Soviet Union from using the massive arsenals they each amassed during four decades of armed standoff. Today, plans for “cyber deterrence” aim to develop an analogous ability for retaliation so overwhelming that it would prevent an adversary from attempting to breach federal computer networks.

National security officials have recently stepped up their public warnings about the need to build such a deterrent.

“If we do nothing, then one of the potential unintended consequences of this could be, does this send a signal to other nation states, other groups, other actors that this kind of behavior is OK and that you can do this without generating any kind of response?” Adm. Mike Rogers said in a recent speech.

Rogers, who is both the military’s top commander for cyber operations as head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colo., last week.

Without an aggressive U.S. response as a deterrent, a rise in destructive cyberattacks against government and business appears likely, a recent intelligence assessment predicted.

“Until such time as we come up with a form of deterrence that works, we’re going to have more and more of this,” said Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, also at the Aspen forum.

But despite a significant increase in the number of attacks, the Obama administration has not settled on a consistent policy for responding.

“This is a new realm of war,” said Peter W. Singer, co-author of the book “Cybersecurity and Cyberwar.”
 

ke gordon

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I think we need an army of security specialists. This should be something like CSI cyber individuals set up to protect us. This is one of the tings thatings that we we need to guard against the cyber attacks that will come to our country sooner or later. It is one of the options that we need as cyber security attacks might rise against the U.S. A whole team dedicated to these attacks should be put into place and be ready to be employed at a moments notice.
 

Corzhens

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The U.S should use third party hacking groups to avoid public backlash (If they aren't already). I'm sure they are already actively doing what they can to retrieve information on high priority targets or aspects of other countries affairs despite international legislation and regulations against such activities. Being cyber based attacks however, tracking the source would often prove as illegitimate due to the simplicity of taking control of foreign computers for use as digital scapegoats.

I agree with you. Cyber attacks are more of a mischief than what we think. From what I gathered, those hackers are having a field day like earning a trophy when they successfully get inside a government site. And catching those rascals is near impossible because they are one step ahead. What to do to fight a rascal? Hire another rascal for the job.
 

Redheart

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I think we need an army of security specialists. This should be something like CSI cyber individuals set up to protect us. This is one of the things that we we need to guard against the cyber attacks that will come to our country sooner or later. It is one of the options that we need as cyber security attacks might rise against the U.S. A whole team dedicated to these attacks should be put into place and be ready to be employed at a moments notice.
Retaliating won't stop the hackers. They'll keep coming again and again and . . .

Russian hackers breach Pentagon email system - 07 Aug 2015 - Computing News
The Pentagon's email system has been shut down for almost two weeks following a cyber intrusion which is believed to have originated in Russia.

While yes there should be a team whose job is to repel hackers, since no system can't breached it would be better for all sensitive data should be filed [the old-fashioned way] and lock it up in a safe or cabinet.
 

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It can be hard to know at times who is doing the attacks as sometimes it can even be young people who are angry at the law and try and do these attacks and believe they can get away with this, and can cause damage to the government and the attacks can occur anytime. Most of the people who do the attacks are doing it for the fun of it and try and show they can do it and get away with it and some can use the information and try and make some money by blackmailing the government and believe it is an easy way to earn money. The USA needs to be more aware and take more measures to combat this sort of crime as hackers can even cause viruses to occur and try and get information which is secretive and use it for their own pleasure which will not be good in the long run.
 

Redheart

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They can't just play defense all the time and hope they don't crack it again. All countries have been probing and spying on each other for as long as there has been separate groups. Cyber terrorism is no different. We need to defend ourselves and at the same time infiltrate their systems of operations. We will never be 100% secure. We have to go on the offensive and get them before the hit us again.
It's going to end up like an arms race. The moment we start retaliating, we'll see a sharp increase in hacking activities or attempted infiltration of our systems. The Russians and Chinese have numbers on their side though so for our counter-measures to be effective, teaming up with allies to defeat the hackers would be obligatory.
 

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I'm a big critic of a lot of government spending. A lot of it, a majority of it i would say, breaks the confines of the Constitution and just isn't useful or practical. Cyber security however, is something we should make a priority in terms of funding. So much of what we do is electronic in this country now, serious cyber hacking could do some real significant damage to our economy and security. It's one of the biggest threats to our society, in addition to radical Islam, imo. And i don't think it's an overstatement.
 
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