In a meeting with the Senate Armed Services committee, a senior defense official admitted the US Military is not equipped to wage digital warfare.
Eric Rosenbach, the Pentagon’s principal advisor on cyber security, said the country is fully capable of defending itself against cyberattacks, but that it does not have the means necessary for leading an offensive campaign in a digital conflict.
The admission came when Senator Bill Nelson asked Rosenbach if the branch lacks the computer network infrastructure to carry out a cyber-offensive attack “effectively”.
“Yes, they currently do not have a robust capability,” Rosenbach responded.
When the lawmakers asked how the country would fare in terms of defending its networks, Rosenbach said “we are in good shape.”
What makes the principal advisor’s comments so newsworthy is the fact that it conflicts with previous statements made by officials suggesting the military was ready and capable of leading an offensive digital campaign whenever necessary.
Rosenbach explained that resources and funding are not the issues; rather, technical and manpower problems are problems that still need to be addressed.
He added that Pentagon chief Ashton Carter was following the issue closely and said that he will support more investment in cyber command as needed.
During the same session, Rosenbach also admitted cyber command was in the process of preparing options for offensive digital operations that targeted a handful of civilian targets, “but in a very precise and confined way.” He added that any offensive action would be executed within the laws of warfare, and that the command would seek to avoid causing civilian casualties.
When the committee asked him to further explain what a possible offensive operation might entail, he responded that he would prefer to discuss the matter behind closed doors, in a classified hearing.
Some additional background on the US cyber command: in terms of operations, while no specific campaign can be cited, it is widely accepted that the computer worm Stuxnet — which disrupted Iran’s nuclear program in 2010 — was a joint US-Israeli digital operation.
Also, the command is expected to create a force of about 6,000 personnel for all branches of the armed forces. The Pentagon said it hoped to reach this benchmark by 2016, but Rosenbach said it will likely not hit the target until 2018. He cited automatic budget cuts in recent years as having undermined the branch’s training efforts.
Via Phys.org
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