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People working behind keyboards may seem less intimidating than the nuclear weapons of the past, but as realistic video games and real-world incidents have shown, breaches of critical systems can cause severe, far-reaching damage.
Governments around the world are establishing dedicated units to defend against these modern threats. The United Kingdom, for example, created the Joint Cyber Reserve Unit to respond to the roughly 70 “sophisticated” attacks per month targeting government systems.
You deter people by having an offensive capability.
The U.S. Navy appears to be preparing to adopt a more offensive posture. Kevin Cooley, executive director and command information officer for Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet, indicated the service is ready for the possibility that the White House could order offensive cyber operations.
Speaking at a C4ISR & Networks conference in Arlington, Virginia, he said, “Just like in other warfare domains we have the capability to be tactically offensive and tactically defensive [and] strategically offensive and strategically defensive. Being open about that capability is an important part of transparency that we acknowledge in any other form of warfare.”
Cooley’s remarks came amid growing pressure from businesses, which regularly face attacks originating from countries such as China and Russia, and from security researchers and lawmakers who have called for stronger U.S. responses to state-linked cyber operations.
The service is gearing up for the possibility that the White House will order offensive cyber-attacks
Reports underscore the scale and origin of many online threats. A study by Akamai Technologies found that China accounted for 41 percent of global attack traffic. Verizon’s 2013 Data Breach Investigation Report also identified China as a significant source of cyber incidents, attributing 30 percent of data breaches to actors originating there, with most of those linked to cyber espionage.
In the UK, Philip Hammond, then Secretary of State for Defence, argued for offensive cyber capabilities as a deterrent. He told a Conservative Party conference, “You deter people by having an offensive capability. We will build in Britain a cyber strike capability so we can strike back in cyber-space against enemies who attack us, putting cyber alongside land, sea, air and space as a mainstream military activity.”
The United States already conducts offensive cyber operations through intelligence agencies, a fact made public following the Sony breach that the FBI attributed to North Korea. Bringing such capabilities under military command signals an intent to strengthen deterrence against state-sponsored hacking and digital attacks.
Are offensive cyber capabilities a necessary deterrent in today’s security environment? Share your thoughts in the comments.