Technology

U.S. needs coherent cyber-war policies

Learn more in today\'s cybersecurity update.

Federal News Network Staff

June 4, 2010 6:33 pm

1 min read

Cybersecurity Update – Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris (6-10 a.m.) and DorobekInsider with Chris Dorobek (3-5 p.m.). according to two experts — Lt. Col. David Hollis, a senior policy analyst/planner with the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence — and Datherine Hollis, who is is on the Research Staff at the Institute for Defense Analysis specializing in cyberspace issues. In a column in Armed Forces Journal, they argue that the U-S government has very limited national-level experience, knowledge or policy guidance for fighting a netwar. In part, that is because the government has no past to learn from, much less envision how a national-level conflict would be fought. Countries are increasingly using cyber-space along with traditional war-fighting measures. But cyber-space is very different from traditional battlefields. One of the biggest differences is how quickly things can move on the Internet. The country needs to develop a full assessment of cyber-space operations, they say.

Cyberspace could be getting a little safer. The Pentagon is in talks with Russia over a proposal to limit military attacks in cyberspace. The Wall Street Journal reports these negotiations mark a shift in cybersecurity policy at the Pentagon. The Defense Department rejected past Russian proposals because a treaty wouldn’t necessarily prohibit countries from using third parties to conduct cyber warfare. The Pentagon hopes these talks will help quiet concerns many foreign governments have expressed about the Defense Department’s new Cyber Command.

Check out all of Federal News Radio’s coverage of cybersecurity issues here.