http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/05_25/ba.as p?
New White House cyber strategy includes response to military attacks The White House this week made public a new strategy for countering threats to cyberspace that focuses mainly on diplomacy and cooperation but also sets out conditions for the use of cyber and other military attacks. On the use of force to protect U.S. networks and cyberspace against hostile actors, the report makes clear that "exploitation and agression" will be countered when needed. "When warranted, the United States will respond to hostile acts in cyberspace as we would to any other threat to our country," the strategy says. "All states possess an inherent right to self-defense, and we recognize that certain hostile acts conducted through cyberspace could compel actions under the commitments we have with our military treaty partners." http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/images/2011/cybersecuri ty.jpg Analysts work at the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center in Arlington, Virginia. <http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo/110518/photos_pl_afp/6fe14cfb 8f5048e5e593e79ab50ce04f/> AFP/File/Jim Watson _____ The report says the United States will "exhaust all options before military force whenever we can." The United States "will carefully weigh the costs and risks of action against the costs of inaction." The report said electronic attacks come from a variety of threats including terrorists, cybercriminals and foreign states and that the problem is growing as more of society relies on computer networks for everything from infrastructure like banking and electrical grids to military operations. "We will seek to encourage good actors and dissuade and deter those who threaten peace and stability through actions in cyberspace," the strategy report says. "We will do so with overlapping policies that combine national and international network resilience with vigilance and a range of credible response options." The report followed the introduction earlier of a legislativie plan to bolster security against cyber attacks from foreign and domestic sources. The legislative plan is part of a high-priority program that seeks to update laws and better protect computer networks from the growing problem of attacks by foreign governments, criminals and hackers. A fact sheet made public May 12 said critical infrastructure such as electrical grids, financial and transportation networks are basic to the U.S. way of life and have suffered repeated cyber intrusions, and cyber crime has increased dramatically over the last decade. The statement said the government cannot fully defend against the threats without updating cybersecurity laws. To better understand cyber security breaches, the new legislation will seek to consolidate 47 state laws with a National Data Breach Reporting law. Additionally, penalties for computer criminals will be increased, especially for attacks or intrusions into networks that control critical infrastructure. It will also extend the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to cover cyber crimes carried out by organized crime groups. The legislation also will seek to improve cooperation between government and the private sector related to fixing damage from cyber attacks and for advice in building better defenses. Also, the proposed law changes will seek to improve information sharing about computer viruses and other cyber threats and incidents among industry, state and local government and the federal government. "The administration proposal makes clear that these entities can share information about cyber threats or incidents with DHS," the statement said. "To fully address these entities concerns, it provides them with immunity when sharing cybersecurity information with DHS." It will also would give DHS greater authority with intrusion detection and prevention systems. "Our Nation is at risk," the proposal said. "The cybersecurity vulnerabilities in our government and critical infrastructure are a risk to national security, public safety, and economic prosperity. The administration has responded to Congress call for input on the cybersecurity legislation that our nation needs, and we look forward to engaging with Congress as they move forward on this issue. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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