U.S. Pentagon Says Cyber Attack Is An Act Of War

[engine]

U.S. Pentagon Says Cyber Attack Is An Act Of War [online.wsj.com]

The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force.

The Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy, unclassified portions of which are expected to become public next month, represents an early attempt to grapple with a changing world in which a hacker could pose as significant a threat to U.S. nuclear reactors, subways or pipelines as a hostile country's military.

In part, the Pentagon intends its plan as a warning to potential adversaries of the consequences of attacking the U.S. in this way. "If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks," said a military official.

[Leosghost]

Do they want to play a game ?

[StoutFiles]

"If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks," said a military official.

If Sergei, a hacker who is in no way affiliated with the Russian government, knocks down the power grid we attack Russia? That's...upsetting.

[wheel]

Very upsetting. Particularly if you're Sergei :).

Pentagon's new theme song, "I'm about to launch my rocket".

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Why does the US think that they can unilaterally make these rules and decisions?

[incrediBILL]

Why does the US think that they can unilaterally make these rules and decisions?

unilateral? rules? LOL!

they simply said we'll defend ourselves if attacked, a very common sense approach to being attacked IMO

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

No they didn't. They said that they would consider it to be an act of war. They defined this themselves.

That is a bit heavier than just defending themselves from an attack.

[Samizdata]

computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war

I would say that is a perfectly reasonable (and obvious) statement in the modern age.

No country on earth would ignore their energy supply being shut down by foreign agents.

The main problem would be identifying the culprit.

Stuxnet, anybody?

...

[incrediBILL]

They said that they would consider it to be an act of war.

When someone attacks your power grid it is an act of war.

I assume if the country where the attack is launched cuts off access and assists, it won't be an issue.

The real issue IMO is with botnets and proxies you could launch an attack from anywhere making it look like it came from somewhere else, even an internal domestic attack.

[walkman]

Script kiddies vs a Tomahwk missile ;).

In this day and age computer sabotage can be much worst than the Pearl Harbor attack, so I'm glad the Pentagon made it clear.

The main problem would be identifying the culprit.

Stuxnet, anybody?

Wanna take that chance? This is the message the Pentagon is sending. If Iran could they would have already bombed US and Israel without knowing 100%

[lucy24]

a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force

Where's the smiley for "rolling on the floor laughing hysterically"?

[phranque]

computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war

that could more accurately be described as a security failure by the supplier and/or administrator of the vulnerable system.

[Samizdata]

that could more accurately be described as a security failure by the supplier and/or administrator of the vulnerable system

I wonder what the Department of Defense's preferred acronym for PEBCAC might be.

Nevertheless, a hostile attack is a hostile attack, successful or otherwise.

...

[graeme_p]

When someone attacks your power grid it is an act of war.

If a hacker can attack your power grid over the net, then you are an idiot for connecting such a sensitive system to the public internet.

I assume if the country where the attack is launched cuts off access and assists, it won't be an issue.

So they just need plausible dependability.

In this day and age computer sabotage can be much worst than the Pearl Harbor attack, so I'm glad the Pentagon made it clear.

Really? Worse than people getting killed, ships sunk etc.?

[bhonda]

Do they want to play a game?

Yes. Brilliant.

I don't think this is too bad. I hardly believe that if an attack originates from a country, this means that the US will invade that afternoon. I think this is intended more on a diplomacy level, rather than an individual hacker level.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

If the Pentagon wants more reason to go to war with other countries fine. If their "findings" lead to loss of freedoms for domestic residents I'm sure people will speak up, loudly.

China and the U.S. seem to be locking horns about the internet right now, are the findings just a byproduct?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

If the Pentagon wants more reason to go to war with other countries fine. If their "findings" lead to loss of freedoms for domestic residents I'm sure people will speak up, loudly.

So you are happy for the US to go to war as long as they don't mess with your home internet connection?

<shakes head>

[lawman]

I'd like to go on record as being in favor of world peace.

[wheel]

World peace? I can't even get along with my next door neighbor, how the heck am I supposed to get along with someone on the other side of the world?

If the pentagon wants to invade him, that'd be great. Maybe they'd put a stop to him dumping his grass clippings in my back yard.

Hey, I should tap his internet connection and hack some pentagon gmail accounts, laying the blame on him. I could do that since I know where his line runs (I cut it when I put up a fence designed to stop him from dumping his stuff in my yard. That was embarrassing.).

[incrediBILL]

how the heck am I supposed to get along with someone on the other side of the world?

that's easy, he doesn't have to live next door to you! <ducks>

[wheel]

It ain't all bad living next to me :).

I cleaned up my neighbor's garbage for years as he dumped his garden and grass clippings in my back yard. And put his garbage on my woodpile (I gave you some free kindling!). The last straw came when he couldn't get rid of a massive swing set he had. All the neighbors declined to take it when he tried to foist it on them. So he parks it in my back yard, unasked. That was the final straw. I put up a fence. Which didn't make me happy, it cost thousands and I bought this house specifically so I wouldn't have a fence.

After I put up the fence, he runs his lawnmower along the fenceline, then at the end of the fence turns and starts cutting half my lawn. Drives me bat### crazy when he does that. There's the property line,follow it. Don't go cutting all around my wife's flowerbeds. Stay on your side of the line. Is that too much to ask?

So I figure, fine. For the remaining line between us, I'll put in some trees. RIght on the line. So I grabbed some nice trees and planted them right on the line one sunny weekend. That's when I cut his internet connection, when I was planting the trees.

(Next day, some of my other neighbors who are killing themselves laughing at me dropped by with a 'call the utilities before you dig flyer').

Other than scale, there's not a whole lot of difference between what I've got going on and a lot of the inter-country strife these days. Somebody's cutting someone else's lawn, and the other party when they try to resolve it, cut the other's internet connection. Now we've got the start of a cold war.

[incrediBILL]

Have you considered salting the edge of his lawn?

If it's dead he won't mow it nor wander into your yard mowing ;)

Of course this is far off of a cyber attack except when you attacked his internet with trees, bad boy.

[wheel]

Have you considered salting the edge of his lawn?

No, but I've got my dog trained to crap on his lawn.

Unfortunately we have stoop and scoop laws here so I have to pick it up. But the dog gets a treat every time!