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U.S. Officials Hype Militarization of Cybersecurity

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General Keith Alexander, Director of the NSA, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command speaks about cyber security and USCYBERCOM at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, in this June 3, 2010 file photograph. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang

US Needs Cyber-emergency Response, Lawmaker Says (PC World):

The U.S. needs a cybersecurity emergency response capability to help businesses under major attacks, a U.S. senator said Monday.

“Who do you call if your CIO is overwhelmed, if you’re a local bank or utility?” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said during a forum on cybersecurity at the University of Rhode Island (URI). “How can we preposition defenses for our critical infrastructure, since these attacks come at the speed of light?”

Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, didn’t lay out details of a cybersecurity emergency response unit, but he said he hopes the U.S. Senate will pass a comprehensive cybersecurity bill this year.

Whitehouse also called for the U.S. to develop “rules of the road” for Internet use. While unsafe cars are not allowed on highways, no one stops unsafe computers from connecting to the Internet, he said during the URI webcast.

“We allow computers dripping with malware and enslaved to botnets unrestricted access on most of the information highway,” he added.

Coordinated cyber-attacks could shut down the U.S. power grid, stock exchanges and the Internet, added General Keith Alexander, director of the U.S. National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

Alexander was responding to an audience member who asked him what was the worst that could happen if several nations banded together to attack U.S. cyberspace. The power grid and Internet are “vulnerable,” he said.

“I don’t think any nation out there right now wants to attack us, but we have these vulnerabilities, and we’ve got to address them,” Alexander added. “These are significant problems.”

Defense Should Be In Charge of U.S. Cybersecurity, Says Former Joint Chiefs Chairman (National Defense):

Retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, would hand over the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity responsibilities to the head of the newly created U.S. Cyber Command.

“The number of 10-pound brains in any nation is limited, he said, referring to the the difficulties the government has had in hiring cyber-experts. Speaking at the Cyber 1.1 conference held the day before the annual Space Symposium on April 11, Pace said the United States does not need to “replicate” the National Security Agency.

Army Gen. Keith Alexander wears two hats, one as commander of the new U.S. Cyber Command  under the secretary of defense and the second as the director of the NSA, under the director  of national intelligence. He should wear a third hat and answer to the secretary of DHS, Pace said.

There would be privacy concerns and misgivings about the U.S. military working in the domestic realm, but “it needs to be done,” Pace said.


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