US Cyber Command Wants Greater Attack Mentality

superglaze writes "Lieutenant General Robert J Elder, Jr, a senior figure in US Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER), has told ZDNet UK that communication issues are hampering the division's co-ordination. 'IT people set up traditional IT networks with the idea of making them secure to operate and defend,' said Elder. 'The traditional security approach is to put up barriers, like firewalls — it's a defense thing — but everyone in an operations network is also part of the [attack] force. We're trying to move away from clandestine operations. We're looking for real physics — a bigger bang resulting in collateral damage.'"

Comments

Re:Just what we need

[jayveekay]

"In the past 10 years the US has initiated 2 military actions against foreign powers."

Off the top of my head, I can think of 4:

1998: US launches cruise missiles at Sudan and Afghanistan
1999: US launches airstrikes against Yugoslavia to get it out of Kosovo
2001: US provides air support to forces in Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban
2003: US invades Iraq

Re:Just what we need

[jonnythan]

NATO is not the US.

Re:Just what we need

[Marcika]

Well, the US makes up 75% of the NATO forces (by budget) and both strategic commanders of NATO are Americans by law (SACEUR and SACLANT), so nothing happens in NATO against the will of the US. The primary decision maker about any NATO bombing campaign is always first and foremost the White House/the Pentagon.