Pentagon should establish fourth military service to wage cyberwars

[The Straight Story]

Pentagon should establish fourth military service to wage cyberwars

By Bob Brewin 03/23/2009

The United States, engaged in a cyberspace Cold War in which government networks are under constant attack, must establish a fourth military service to conduct cyberwarfare, according to an article in the most recent issue of a Defense newsletter.

Defense Department computer networks are hit by cyberattacks hundreds of times a day, not only from adversaries, but also "from nations that are supposed to be our 'friends,' according to an article in the spring issue of IANewsletter, published by the Defense Information Assurance Technology Analysis Center.

The authors -- Col. John "Buck" Surdu, chief of staff at the Army Research Engineering and Development Command, and Lt. Col. Gregory Conti, assistant professor of Computer Science at the U.S. Military Academy -- did not identify the friendly nations that have attacked Defense networks.

But the authors argued that Defense must establish a separate service for cyberwarfare because it is waged differently than traditional, or kinetic, warfare. The core missions of the Army, Navy and Air Force -- to conduct war on land, sea and air -- do not take into account the unique demands of cyberwarfare, according to Surdu and Conti. "Cyberwarfare is fundamentally different from traditional kinetic warfare," the authors wrote.

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090323_6135.php

[endarkenment]

1. Oh of course, why not?

This could be at least another 100B/yr of our money going into the pockets of the kleptocratic elite.

[Mojambo]

2. Yeah, cause the Pentagon has done such a bang up job with the other 3. n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. That is part of PNAC.