By Kevin Coleman – DefenseTech Cyber Warfare Correspondent
Last week Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that the future holds a major threat from cyber technologies that will require civil and military coordination to shield American networks from attack. He went on to add, "that’s just the reality that we all face."
Enough with the warnings, it is well past time for action. The U.S. has a habit of waiting until something happens to take action. Gates and other military and intelligence leaders, past and present, have all talked about working with the private sector to address this growing threat. The price tag is high. One estimate put the cost of protecting our critical infrastructure (repair and / or replace) at $60 billion over a 5 year period. Given the current attitude of business leaders, the private sector will NOT spend this kind of cash any time soon.
The cyber attack reviews and analysis that go on behind closed doors are chilling to say the least. Given these details are not public, critics are quick to point out the lack of ‘evidence’ of cyber hostilities. Other are concerned about the trouncing our civil liberties in the process of securing our critical systems and cyber space. We need to keep in mind that the threats from cyber space are far too significant and potentially damaging for the traditional sit and wait attitude.
