Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    NSA Director Says Cyber Command Not Trying to Militarize Cyberspace

    Written by

    Brian Prince
    Published April 15, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander told the Senate Armed Services Committee April 15 that he would work to protect the privacy rights of Americans-even as he noted the amount of uncharted territory in cyber-law.

      Currently director of the National Security Agency, Alexander has been nominated by President Obama to head the U.S. Cyber Command. The Cyber Command is a subordinate unified command under the U.S. Strategic Command, and was created in 2009 to protect Department of Defense networks and coordinate the country’s cyber-warfare operations.

      If confirmed, Alexander’s main goal would be to build “the capacity, the capability and the critical partnerships required to secure our military’s operational networks,” he told the committee. This position, he said, is not about trying to “militarize cyberspace,” but about safeguarding the integrity of the military’s critical information systems.

      However, the complexities of securing cyberspace were not lost in the discussion. Alexander noted that it is much more difficult to distinguish neutral countries and adversaries in cyber-war than in physical war, because a “cyber-attack could bounce through a neutral country.”

      Sen. Carl Levin, chair of the committee, questioned how Cyber Command would react in the event of a cyber-attack on the country’s utilities that originated overseas but made use of computers in the United States.

      Alexander said that scenario would primarily be the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security, which is tasked with protecting the nation’s civilian infrastructure, but the Cyber Command would get involved if asked for support.

      “The issues now though are far more complex because you have U.S. persons, civil liberties, privacy all [coming] into that equation …while you try to, on the same network, take care of bad actors,” he said.

      In an e-mail to eWEEK, Patrick Gorman, former Associate Director of National Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said properly identifying who attacked and from where, as well as the impact of the attack, are key elements of a sound cyber-security policy.

      “Taking action means [using] defensive means as well as offensive means,” said Gorman, now a principal at consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton. “If a missile were fired at the United States, we would not hesitate to intercept the missile, regardless of who fired it. On the other hand, retaliation requires attribution and a proportionate response. So exact and certain attribution should not preclude a prompt and proportionate response to defend government networks and critical infrastructure.”

      Though Alexander said there is “much uncharted territory in the world of cyber-policy, law and doctrine,” he stressed that the Cyber Command would respect the privacy rights of Americans.

      “While cyberspace is a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment, what will never change will be an unwavering dedication by both Cyber Command and the National Security Agency to the protection of civil liberties and the privacy of American citizens,” Alexander said.

      “We face a growing array of cyber-threats from foreign intelligence services, terrorists, criminal groups and individual hackers who are capable of stealing, manipulating or destroying information that could compromise our personal and national security,” he told the committee. “The Department of Defense in particular requires a focused approach to secure its own networks, given our military’s dependence [on those networks] for command and control, logistics and military operations.”

      Brian Prince
      Brian Prince

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×