Pentagon's Cybercommand Raises Privacy Fears

Death and damage from online assault can result in military response

(NEWSER) - A cyber attack on the United States or its allies can be considered an act of war and result in a military response, says the Pentagon in its first formal document outlining its cyber strategy. The 30-page classified report—unclassified portions of which will be released next month—looks at the changing face of warfare in a time when hackers can do serious damage to a country's infrastructure, reports the Wall Street Journal , which spoke to three defense officials who have read it. More»

Military unit will complement Obama's new civilian office

(NEWSER) - The Pentagon is pushing ahead with a new military command devoted to cyberspace as the armed forces ramp up abilities to not only defend against computer attacks but launch them as well, the New York Times reports. The new command will work in concert with a civilian organization, which President Obama will unveil today, devoted to revamping the security of America's computer networks for stock exchanges, air traffic control, and other cyber infrastructure. The White House office will be run by an as-yet unnamed "cyberczar." More»

(NEWSER) - The US military is creating a digital warfare force as part of a complete reorganization of its cyber operations, says NSA director and top cyber warfare commander Keith Alexander. In blunt testimony prepared for the House Armed Services subcommittee today, Alexander says the Pentagon’s current cyber training is woefully inadequate. He says a new cyber command will be created at a Maryland Army facility. More»

Move comes as military sees Internet as serious security threat

(NEWSER) - The United States is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to create a "scale model" of the Internet, where military researchers can hone their cyber warfare skills, reports the BBC . The Defense Advance Research Projects Agency is overseeing the National Cyber Range project, which will allow researchers to simulate online attacks by hackers and foreign powers. Johns Hopkins University and Lockheed Martin are involved in its creation. More»

Some Defense Department employees had top-secret security clearances

(NEWSER) - Several dozen Pentagon officials and contractors with high-level security clearances have allegedly been caught buying or downloading child pornography. Federal investigators identified alleged perverts everywhere from the NSA to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and some of them even used their work computers to download the material, the Boston Globe reports. Some cases have already been prosecuted, but others were dropped or have languished unresolved for years, according to newly disclosed documents. More»