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US Planning Response To a Cyber Attack

Posted by kdawson on from the one-less-cyber-cafe-in-Karachi dept.

We've all heard of Google bombing; the US Government may be taking the expression rather literally. Planning is now underway across the government for the proper way to respond to a cyber attack, and options on the table include launching a cyber counterattack or even bombing the attack's source. The article makes clear that no settled plan is in place, and quotes one spokesman as saying "the preferred route would be warning the source to shut down the attack before a military response." That's assuming the source could be found. From the article: "If the United States found itself under a major cyberattack aimed at undermining the nations critical information infrastructure, the Department of Defense is prepared, based on the authority of the president, to launch a cyber counterattack or an actual bombing of an attack source."

31 of 359 comments (clear)

  1. botnet by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder what their response would be to the attack of a botnet. Carpet bombing, maybe?

    1. Re:botnet by Cyberax · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nuclear arms, of course :) The ultimate solution for spam and cyberattacks.

    2. Re: botnet by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny

      > I wonder what their response would be to the attack of a botnet.

      Good thing the story isn't on a DoD site, or Slashdot might get some retaliatory cruise missiles.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    3. Re:botnet by mrbluze · · Score: 2, Funny

      Depending on the location of the computers, it might be a carpet bomb, or a bunker buster if it's a teenager's PC in a basement somewhere, or if they run on expensive computers running *nix, a cluster bomb, or if it's a server farm, they might use napalm with agent orange...

      --
      Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
    4. Re:botnet by mrbluze · · Score: 3, Funny

      .. or a nude bomb if the attacker is spreading porn, or a great big armoured bulldozer to dig up a worm attack, or a bunch of soldiers with spears and shiny metal shields and stuff if it's a Trojan, or a firetruck if the enemy runs a firewall...

      --
      Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
    5. Re:botnet by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is why I make sure all of my zombie systems are physically located in US government facilities.

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    6. Re:botnet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I can see it now...
      call to UK ISP call center

      call center: "tech support how my I help you today"
      caller: "my internet will not work"
      Call center: "okay what is your operating system"
      caller: "windows XP"
      Call center: "what is the problem"
      caller: "everything is just really slow and the internet will not open"
      Call center: "okay let me check a few things"
      Caller: "okay"
      Call center: "you need to unplug your computer now it has been compromised"
      Caller: "what?"
      Call center: "UNPLUG THE COMPUTER"
      caller: "okay hang on"
      caller: *massive crashing and then dead air*
      Call center: NOOOOOOOOOO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IT WAS IN A BOTNET THE POOR WOMAN HAD NOT IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON

      they really need to stop this bombing

  2. An option... by yourexhalekiss · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's an option that the Feds have that the average whitehat doesn't: calling in airstrikes against the DOSer.

  3. yes... by macadamia_harold · · Score: 1, Funny

    We've all heard of Google bombing; the US Government may be taking the expression rather literally.

    And it has as much to do with an actual bomb as an Aqua Teen Hunger Force advertisement.

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
  4. Re:Bombs? That's ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    A few bombings ought to move people off Windows.

  5. Uhh... woudln't just be easier... by thestudio_bob · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uhh... woudln't just be easier to bomb the source. It's not like we don't know where Micro$ofts head quarters are.

    --
    The real Sig captains the Northwestern. This one captains /.
  6. Slashdotted:No more submissions to .gov/mil sites by NZheretic · · Score: 5, Funny
    To Commander "Taco"
    Please cease and desist linking to site xxx.mil ( reacted ) or whitehouse.gov or else we will bomb you.

    Signed G.W. Bush.

  7. Re:spoof by ghstomahawks · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about a certain ranch in Texas ....?

  8. Scene from the War Room by mbstone · · Score: 5, Funny

    General, the bombers are ready to go and the cruise missiles are fully fueled. And our intel group has pinpointed the source of the attack. It's coming from 127.0.0.1 .

  9. problem solved by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Spoof the attack from an ip block that originates at the pentagon; government bombs the 'source' of the attack. Buh-bye pentagon. The people rejoice.

  10. Re:denial of service by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, this has some great potential for denial of service attacks by forging the source of a cyber attack.
    The practical joker in me can't wait until someone forges an attack using the WhiteHouse.gov IP.

    OTOH, I suspect that the NSA & DoD aren't that stupid
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  11. Attack the source? by bizitch · · Score: 3, Funny

    .... well you can kiss Redmond, WA goodbye ;)

    --
    ---- "Logoff! That cookie shit makes me nervous!" - A. Soprano
  12. But what if... by OriginalArlen · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...the network fights back? Huh? D'ye ever think of that? And then it'll launch all the old ICBMs, oh yes, and then androids will stalk the smoking ruins hunting down and shooting the last holdout remnants of the Republican Party.

    --

    Everything I needed to know about life, I learnt from Blake's Seven
  13. Redefines... by DimGeo · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... Internet Exploder... Click that link and you and your entire fraking town are history.

  14. oh really - this is just hilarious by toby · · Score: 4, Funny

    When you're a country with a hammer, everything looks like a snowglobe, eh?

    --
    you had me at #!
  15. Re:Bombs? That's ok... by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    True, but if 100% of your products cause widespread damage, you get a seat at the UN Security Council.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  16. US Planning Response To a Cyber Attack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, I know, I saw it on television tonight...
    This is called 'Skynet', and only a hacker called 'John Connor' can stop it

  17. Standard hacker defences won't work by flyingfsck · · Score: 2, Funny

    If the Feds launch a B52, then I think a tin foil hat ain't gonna help. Even an asbestos suit won't help much.

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  18. Re:spoof by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Funny

    The ultimate Shashdot effect - route the next article link through a Washington DC address...

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  19. How about this? by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 2, Funny

    Instead of dropping nukes, drop free, registered copies of Windows Vista. The problem will take care of itself.

  20. Re:Bombs? That's ok... by JonathanR · · Score: 2, Funny

    People with Aero Glass Windows shouldn't throw...

  21. Imagine a beowulf cluster of these... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Cluster bombs?

  22. Re:Bombs? That's ok... by tsm_sf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Your scenario is a little off, since your oven can't walk out of the house and burn someone else's house down. Let's try a more realistic scenario.

    You buy a new drive-by-wire car.

    You can tell right there it's going to be a good analogy.

    --
    Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
  23. Re:denial of service by r_jensen11 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Odds are they'd fuck up and use whitehouse.com instead....

  24. Re:What a way to dispel a myth... by Andrewkov · · Score: 2, Funny
    This sounds like a war machine trying to make another war, since the last ones not going so well.

    Oh crap, it sounds like they are planning to attack Canada!

  25. Re:Bombs? That's ok... by CmdrGravy · · Score: 4, Funny

    throttle by wire is common Indeed, I believe it's know as garrotting.