Defense Department: Cyber-attacks may provoke military response

newstech

17 Nov

Well if there's one thing to take for certain in this situation: Hackers < Guns. While phones are being tracked and social network attitudes are being monitored, The Pentagon has declared when other options to tackle cyber-attackers prove ineffective they will turn to military action. This comes from a report made public on Tuesday, stating that internet-based attacks upon US governmental, military or economical bodies will receive the same counter-offensive force as it's tangible attack counterparts.

The Department of Defense is continuing their work to shield their 15,000+ networks from malicious attacks and hacks, while further honing their methods of tracing where the attacks came from. But beyond the DoD's significant improvements on the internet front, the message is still clear from a couple key quotes:

"We reserve the right to use all necessary means ― diplomatic, informational, military and economic ― to defend our nation, our allies, our partners and our interests."

"If directed by the President, DoD will conduct offensive cyber operations in a manner consistent with the policy principles and legal regimes that the department follows for kinetic capabilities, including the law of armed conflict," it states.

So be wary of the wrath of US intelligence and military action if you use that computer as a weapon...not literally, unless it had sharp edges but you know what we mean..

This definitely comes as a welcome addition of cyber defense to the US government; but what about various private companies (Facebook for example) who don't really have a leg to stand on in the face of cyber attacks? But we guess that given the choice between our Facebook news feeds showing porn or Government secrets, or the presidents nuclear briefcase, being compromised, we'd probably pick the former.

Source: Reuters