Cyber Warfare More Likely Than Nukes
By Bradley Blakeman
Newsmax.com
The threat of a
cyber attack is as dangerous and more likely
than a nuclear attack.
What is a credible cyber threat?
This is how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
defines it:
Cyber threats to a control system refer to persons
who attempt unauthorized access to a control system
device and/or network using a data communications
pathway. This access can be directed from within an
organization by trusted users or from remote
locations by unknown persons using the Internet.
Threats to control systems can come from numerous
sources, including hostile governments, terrorist
groups, disgruntled employees, and malicious
intruders. To protect against these threats, it is
necessary to create a secure cyber-barrier around
the Industrial Control System (ICS). Though other
threats exist, including natural disasters,
environmental, mechanical failure, and inadvertent
actions of an authorized user, this discussion will
focus on the deliberate threats mentioned above.
I recently had a meeting with a former top U.S.
intelligence appointee as well as a gentleman who is
recognized as the world’s top expert on the
Internet. The topic of the meeting was the current
and real threat of cyber attack to our homeland
and/or our interests around the world. The meeting
was sobering and fascinating. What was clear is that
America is vulnerable and there exists gaps in
prevention and response on the part of our
government and private sectors.
In the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11, the
American people were asking — how is it possible
that our government didn’t see it coming or that we
were unable to prevent it? How was it that we were
not able to “connect the dots?”
America has become good at responding to crises but
we have not been very good at avoiding them.
The White House, Congress and the business community
has been warned of the clear and present danger of
cyber attacks. We know that those who seek to do
America harm like China, Iran, Russia, North Korea
and others are constantly hacking, probing and
attacking our computer/Internet infrastructure. Yet,
despite thousands upon thousands of daily “attacks,”
we as a nation are ill-prepared for a devastating
coordinated attack to our banking system, energy
grids, transportation infrastructure, military
assets, etc.
This is what the Center for Strategic &
International Studies reported with regard to
foreign capabilities:
There are countries that could launch damaging cyber
attacks. At least five militaries have advanced
cyber-attack capabilities, and at least another 30
countries intend to acquire them. These high-end
opponents have the resources and skills to overcome
most defenses. Just as only a few countries had
aircraft in 1914 but most militaries had acquired
them 10 years later, every military will eventually
acquire some level of cyber-attack capability. Cyber
attacks will likely be used only in combination with
other military actions, but they will be part of any
future conflict. We can regard them as another
weapons system with both tactical and strategic
uses, similar to missiles or aircraft that can be
launched from a distance and strike rapidly at a
target.
The president of the United States has a well
thought out protocol in the event of a nuclear
attack on the U.S. but sadly has no such protocol
exists in the event of a massive cyber attack. The
president of the United States is never more than a
few steps away from the “Football” the name given to
the attaché case carried by the president’s military
aide that contains the nuclear codes to launch a
retaliatory strike in the event of a nuclear attack
on the U.S. The president has as much as 30 minutes
to respond in the event of a nuclear attack. However
in the event of a cyber attack a president may only
have seconds to respond.
According to the experts, there does not exist the
legal authority to stop an attack or to properly
retaliate to a massive cyber attack to America. Our
intelligence officials may be able to see it coming
but lack the necessary and proper command and
control similar to the protocols of a nuclear attack
to deal with it at a level of the commander in
chief.
Article II of the Constitution sets forth the duties
and responsibilities of the president as follows
starting with the oath of office:
Clause 8: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I
will faithfully execute the Office of President of
the United States, and will to the best of my
Ability, preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States."
Section 2: Clause 1: “The President shall be
Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the
United States, and of the Militia of the several
States, when called into the actual Service of the
United States . . .”
The greatest threat to America in this day and age
is not nuclear warfare it is cyber warfare. A cyber
attack or attacks can be as lethal — if not more so
— than a nuclear one.
The question is not whether America will be
attacked, but rather when it will be attacked
The generalized constitutional responsibilities of
the president must be codified by statute to reflect
this new threat allowing the president to respond as
commander in chief to an act of cyber warfare.
Now is the time for the president to carry cyber
warfare options as closely as he does nuclear.
The federal government must act immediately to
institute the necessary, proper and reasonable
responsibilities on government and private
industries to protect themselves from cyber attacks.
The failure of government and industries such as
financial services, energy, hospitals,
transportation, national security and communications
to prepare for cyber attacks is inexcusable.
Now is the time to make sure our government and the
most vulnerable private sector enterprises are up to
the task to thwart attack by instituting protocols
and coordinating and disseminating information.
The costs to human life, continuity of government
and protection of our most vulnerable private sector
businesses demand that we act now.
Bradley A. Blakeman is a professor of public
policy, politics and international affairs at
Georgetown University and he appears regularly on
FOX News. He served on President George W. Bush’s
senior staff from 2001-2004. Read more reports from
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