| The War on Cyber Terrorism | | | | disagreements among nations. |
| America is at war and the latest front is the war on | | | | Nevertheless, some experts have noted that whereas |
| Cyber Terrorism. The internet and associated | | | | police officers don't have to know the identity of a |
| networks has been under attack from many sectors | | | | shooter in order to shoot back. In cyberspace, the U.S. |
| including hackers, disgruntled employees, financial fraud | | | | may be able to counter a threat, rebuff an electronic |
| perpetrators, cyber criminals and now state sponsored | | | | probe or disable a malicious network without knowing |
| cyber terrorists. | | | | who is behind the attack. |
| What started out as a small number of annoying | | | | Alexander's answers reflect the murky nature of the |
| viruses, malware, Trojan horses and worms have now | | | | Internet and the escalating threat of cyber terrorism, |
| blossomed into aggressive attacks on our military and | | | | which defies borders, operates at the speed of light |
| industrial segments. U.S. computer networks are under | | | | and can provide deep cover for assailants who can |
| constant cyber attacks, by direct assaults by remote | | | | launch disruptive attacks from continents away, using |
| sites, by probes by hackers and criminal networks and | | | | networks of innocent computers. |
| by espionage from foreign countries. | | | | The U.S. should counter computer-based attacks |
| President Barack Obama last year declared that the | | | | swiftly and forcefully and act to thwart or disable a |
| cyber threat is one of nation's most serious economic | | | | threat even when the attacker's identity is unknown, |
| and national security challenges. | | | | and we have the technology required to carry out |
| While there are rapid developments in the area of | | | | even preemptive offensive attacks. |
| defenses against Cyber Terrorism, this article makes | | | | Offensive Cyber Warfare sends a powerful message |
| the case that a strong offensive strategy is required | | | | to cyber criminals beyond the reach of U.S. criminal |
| as well as comprehensive defensive measures. | | | | laws and regulations and rapid destruction of state |
| International Cyber Terrorism | | | | sponsored criminal networks would have a chilling |
| Recently cyber attacks can be traced to totalitarian | | | | effect on future criminal actions. Offensive measure |
| regimes that either directly support and encourage or | | | | must be used responsibly but proactively. |
| harbor cyber terrorists. While initial attacks from this | | | | Problem - More Definition is Required |
| area have been intermittent and scattered, military | | | | Just as there are many types of Cyber crimes so |
| bases and the electric grid have been penetrated. The | | | | there should be different levels of offensive Cyber |
| threat to cause significant damage is ever present and | | | | Warfare. Some hacking, although criminal in nature, is |
| growing. Defensive measures, while critically important, | | | | confined to a small number of non critical sites and is |
| are not enough and cyber criminals must be countered | | | | subject to existing criminal laws. |
| with aggressive offensive attacks. | | | | Since Cyber war covers a wide variety of situations. It |
| The Strategy Must Include Offense | | | | is often used to refer to everything from financial |
| The concept of defenses against Cyber Terrorism is | | | | crimes to computer hacks that could kill people by |
| easier to understand that an offensive strategy | | | | blowing up a pipeline. It was discovered last year that |
| because the defensive attack point is easy to identify. | | | | spies hacked into the US electric grid and left behind |
| The owners or operators of a particular site can | | | | computer programs that would allow them to disrupt |
| identify their own assets that are at risk. | | | | services. |
| An offensive strategy however must identify the | | | | The "war" metaphor is potentially problematic, because |
| attacker and the amorphous, cross border nature of | | | | it could shift responsibility of cyber crime onto |
| the internet often shields attackers. Some attackers | | | | governments, as some private industries would like to |
| can hide their toxic programs in legitimate domestic | | | | see happen. Instead, experts agree that it should be a |
| computer installations. In cyberspace it is difficult to | | | | joint effort, principally when it comes to attacks on |
| deliver an effective response if the attacker's identity | | | | control systems for critical infrastructure. And, it is |
| is not known. | | | | essential that all efforts against Cyber Warfare include |
| In addition, there is no international consensus on the | | | | aggressive and devastating measures. |
| definition of use of force, in or out of cyberspace, and | | | | The technology is available and our safety requires |
| many experts said uncertainty creates the potential for | | | | immediate action. |