Cyberwarfare in the United States
Encyclopedia
Cyberwarfare in the United States is the United States Cyber Command
s military strategy
of proactive cyber defence
and the use of cyberwarfare as a platform for attack. The United States Department of Defense
sees the use of computer
s and the Internet
to conduct war
fare in cyberspace
as a threat to national security
. The Joint Forces Command
issued a statement: "Cyberspace technology is emerging as an "instrument of power" in societies
, and is becoming more available to a country's opponents, who may use it to attack, degrade, and disrupt communications and the flow of information. With low barriers to entry, coupled with the anonymous nature of activities in cyberspace, the list of potential adversaries is broad. Furthermore, the globe-spanning range of cyberspace and its disregard for nation
al border
s will challenge legal systems and complicate a nation's ability to deter threats and respond to contingencies."
s is the framework for the United States military strategy for cyberwarfare. The first pillar is to recognize that the new domain for warfare is cyberspace similar to the other elements in the battlespace
. The second pillar is proactive defenses as opposed to passive defense. Two examples of passive defense are computer
hygiene
and firewalls
, which detect approximately 70 to 80 percent of cyber attacks. The balance of the attacks require active defense using sensor
s to provide a rapid response to detect and stop a cyber attack on a computer network
. This would provide military tactics
to hunt down and attack an enemy intruder. The third pillar is critical infrastructure protection
(CIP) to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure
. The fourth pillar is the use of collective defense, which would provide the ability of early detection and to incorporate them into the cyberwarfare defence structure. The fifth pillar is maintain and enhance the advantage of technological change
. This would include improved computer literacy
and increasing artificial intelligence
capabilities.
for a traditional act of war. This is controversial; Howard Schmidt
, the cybersecurity leader of the US, said in March 2010 that "there is no cyberwar... I think that is a terrible metaphor and I think that is a terrible concept. There are no winners in that environment."
(USCYBERCOM) is a United States armed forces
sub-unified command
subordinate to United States Strategic Command
. USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries."
. ARCYBER has the following components:
is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps
to protect infrastructure
from cyberwarfare.
(CYBERFOR) is the type commander for the U.S. Navy's global cyber workforce. The headquarters is located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. CYBERFOR provides forces and equipment in cryptology/signals intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, information operations, intelligence, networks, and space.
(USAF). The USAF is consolidating its cyberspace combat forces into 24 AF. The Twenty-Fourth Air Force, will be the Air Force component of United States Cyber Command
(USCYBER). The 24AF has the following components:
is a functional formation of the United States Navy
. It was first created as an anti submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It has been reactivated as Fleet Cyber Command. The tenth fleet components are:
General Keith B. Alexander
endorsed talks with Russia
over a proposal to limit military attacks in cyberspace, representing a significant shift in U.S. policy.
United States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command is an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to United States Strategic Command. The command is located in Fort Meade, Maryland and led by General Keith B. Alexander. USCYBERCOM centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and...
s military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
of proactive cyber defence
Proactive Cyber Defence
Proactive Cyber Defence means acting in anticipation to oppose an attack against computers and networks. Proactive cyber defence will most often require additional security from internet service providers....
and the use of cyberwarfare as a platform for attack. The United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
sees the use of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to conduct war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare in cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
as a threat to national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. The Joint Forces Command
United States Joint Forces Command
United States Joint Forces Command was a former Unified Combatant Command of the United States Armed Forces. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno...
issued a statement: "Cyberspace technology is emerging as an "instrument of power" in societies
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, and is becoming more available to a country's opponents, who may use it to attack, degrade, and disrupt communications and the flow of information. With low barriers to entry, coupled with the anonymous nature of activities in cyberspace, the list of potential adversaries is broad. Furthermore, the globe-spanning range of cyberspace and its disregard for nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
s will challenge legal systems and complicate a nation's ability to deter threats and respond to contingencies."
The Five Pillars
The five pillarPrinciple
A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed...
s is the framework for the United States military strategy for cyberwarfare. The first pillar is to recognize that the new domain for warfare is cyberspace similar to the other elements in the battlespace
Battlespace
Battlespace is a term used to signify a unified military strategy to integrate and combine armed forces for the military theatre of operations, including air, information, land, sea, and space to achieve military goals. It includes the environment, factors, and conditions that must be understood...
. The second pillar is proactive defenses as opposed to passive defense. Two examples of passive defense are computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
and firewalls
Firewall (computing)
A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
, which detect approximately 70 to 80 percent of cyber attacks. The balance of the attacks require active defense using sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...
s to provide a rapid response to detect and stop a cyber attack on a computer network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
. This would provide military tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
to hunt down and attack an enemy intruder. The third pillar is critical infrastructure protection
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical infrastructure protection is a concept that relates to the preparedness and response to serious incidents that involve the critical infrastructure of a region or nation....
(CIP) to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy. Most commonly associated with the term are facilities for:*electricity generation, transmission and distribution;...
. The fourth pillar is the use of collective defense, which would provide the ability of early detection and to incorporate them into the cyberwarfare defence structure. The fifth pillar is maintain and enhance the advantage of technological change
Technological change
Technological change is a term that is used to describe the overall process of invention, innovation and diffusion of technology or processes. The term is synonymous with technological development, technological achievement, and technological progress...
. This would include improved computer literacy
Computer literacy
Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving. Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using...
and increasing artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
capabilities.
Cyberattack an act of war
The new United States military strategy, makes explicit that a cyberattack is casus belliCasus belli
is a Latin expression meaning the justification for acts of war. means "incident", "rupture" or indeed "case", while means bellic...
for a traditional act of war. This is controversial; Howard Schmidt
Howard Schmidt
Howard A. Schmidt is the Cyber-Security Coordinator of the Obama Administration, operating in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.One of Schmidt's leading policy objectives is the development of "National Strategy for...
, the cybersecurity leader of the US, said in March 2010 that "there is no cyberwar... I think that is a terrible metaphor and I think that is a terrible concept. There are no winners in that environment."
United States Cyber Command
The United States Cyber CommandUnited States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command is an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to United States Strategic Command. The command is located in Fort Meade, Maryland and led by General Keith B. Alexander. USCYBERCOM centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and...
(USCYBERCOM) is a United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
sub-unified command
Unified Combatant Command
A Unified Combatant Command is a United States Department of Defense command that is composed of forces from at least two Military Departments and has a broad and continuing mission. These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of...
subordinate to United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...
. USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries."
Army Cyber Command
The Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) is an Army component command for the U.S. Cyber CommandUnited States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command is an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to United States Strategic Command. The command is located in Fort Meade, Maryland and led by General Keith B. Alexander. USCYBERCOM centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and...
. ARCYBER has the following components:
- Army Network Enterprise Technology Command / 9th Army Signal CommandArmy Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal CommandArmy Network Enterprise Technology Command is a subordinate command under the Army Cyber Command. Its mission is operating and defending United States Army computer networks. The numerical command for NETCOM is 9th Army Signal Command. Its heritage can be traced back to the creation of the 9th...
- Portions of 1st Information Operations Command (Land)1st Information Operations Command (Land)The 1st Information Operations Command , formerly the Land Information Warfare Activity Information Dominance Center , is an information operations command of the U.S. Army Cyber Command ....
- United States Army Intelligence and Security CommandUnited States Army Intelligence and Security CommandThe United States Army Intelligence and Security Command is a direct reporting unit that conducts intelligence, security, and information operations for U.S. Army commanders and national decision makers. INSCOM is both an organization within the United States Army and the National Security Agency,...
will be under the operational control of ARCYBER for cyber-related actions.
Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command
United States Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace CommandUnited States Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command
The United States Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps to protect critical infrastructure from cyberwarfare...
is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to protect infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
from cyberwarfare.
Navy Cyber Forces
The Navy Cyber ForcesNavy Cyber Forces
Navy Cyber Forces is the type commander for the U.S. Navy's global cyber workforce. The headquarters is located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story...
(CYBERFOR) is the type commander for the U.S. Navy's global cyber workforce. The headquarters is located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. CYBERFOR provides forces and equipment in cryptology/signals intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, information operations, intelligence, networks, and space.
Twenty-Fourth Air Force
The Twenty-Fourth Air Force (24 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) with the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF). The USAF is consolidating its cyberspace combat forces into 24 AF. The Twenty-Fourth Air Force, will be the Air Force component of United States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command is an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to United States Strategic Command. The command is located in Fort Meade, Maryland and led by General Keith B. Alexander. USCYBERCOM centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and...
(USCYBER). The 24AF has the following components:
- 67th Network Warfare Wing67th Network Warfare WingThe 67th Network Warfare Wing , Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was reactivated October 1, 1993 as the 67th Intelligence Wing. The wing was re-designated the 67th Information Operations Wing on February 1, 2001...
- 688th Information Operations Wing688th Information Operations WingThe United States Air Force's 688th Information Operations Wing is an Information Operations unit located at Lackland AFB, Texas.It was a redesignation of the Air Force Information Operations Center on August 18, 2009 as planned by the initial Air Force Cyber Command plan in 2007-2008,The 688 IOW...
- 689th Combat Communications Wing689th Combat Communications WingThe 689th Combat Communications Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The wing was activated on 9 October 2009...
United States Tenth Fleet
The United States Tenth FleetUnited States Tenth Fleet
The Tenth Fleet is a functional formation of the United States Navy responsible for the Navy's cyber warfare programs. It was first created as an anti submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War...
is a functional formation of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. It was first created as an anti submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It has been reactivated as Fleet Cyber Command. The tenth fleet components are:
- Naval Network Warfare CommandNaval Network Warfare CommandNaval Network Warfare Command is the US Navy's information operations, intelligence, networks and space unit. NETWARCOM is charged with operating a secure naval network that enables information operations...
- Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command
- Naval Information Operation Commands
- Combined Task Forces
Cyberwarfare activities in the U.S.
- In 2011 as part of The Anonymous attack on HBGary Federal information about private companies such as Endgame systemsEndgame systemsEndgame Systems provides offensive and defensive vulnerability research. Endgame was started by executives from ISS and CIA.-History:In October 2010, the company raised 29 million USD from Bessemer Ventures, , Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers , and , for web-based malware detection services such...
who design offensive software for the Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
were revealed. It was shown that Endgame systems job applicants had previously "managed team of 15 persons, responsible for coordinating offensive computer network operations for the United States Department of Defense and other federal agencies."
- In August 2010, the U.S. for the first time is publicly warning about the Chinese military's use of civilian computer experts in clandestine cyber attacks aimed at American companies and government agencies. The PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
also pointed to an alleged China-based computer spying network dubbed GhostNetGhostNetGhostNet is the name given by researchers at the Information Warfare Monitor to a large-scale cyber spying operation discovered in March 2009. The operation is likely associated with an Advanced Persistent Threat...
that was revealed in a research report last year. The Pentagon stated:
- "The People's Liberation ArmyPeople's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
is using "information warfare units" to develop virusesComputer virusA computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
to attack enemy computer systems and networks, and those units include civilian computer professionals. Commander Bob Mehal, will monitor the PLA's buildup of its cyberwarfare capabilities and will continue to develop capabilities to counter any potential threat."
- On June 19, 2010, United States Senator Joe LiebermanJoe LiebermanJoseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(I-CT) introduced a bill called "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010", which he co-wrote with Senator Susan CollinsSusan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins is the junior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs...
(R-ME) and Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE). If signed into law, this controversial bill, which the American media dubbed the "Kill switch bill", would grant the PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
emergency powers over parts of the Internet. However, all three co-authors of the bill issued a statement that instead, the bill "[narrowed] existing broad Presidential authority to take over telecommunications networks".
- In February 2010, the United States Joint Forces CommandUnited States Joint Forces CommandUnited States Joint Forces Command was a former Unified Combatant Command of the United States Armed Forces. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno...
released a study which included a summary of the threats posed by the internet:
- With very little investment, and cloaked in a veil of anonymity, our adversaries will inevitably attempt to harm our national interests. Cyberspace will become a main front in both irregular and traditional conflicts. Enemies in cyberspace will include both states and non-states and will range from the unsophisticated amateur to highly trained professional hackers. Through cyberspace, enemies will target industry, academia, government, as well as the military in the air, land, maritime, and space domains. In much the same way that airpower transformed the battlefield of World War II, cyberspace has fractured the physical barriers that shield a nation from attacks on its commerce and communication. Indeed, adversaries have already taken advantage of computer networks and the power of information technology not only to plan and execute savage acts of terrorism, but also to influence directly the perceptions and will of the U.S. Government and the American population.
- In December 2009 through January 2010, a cyber attack, dubbed Operation AuroraOperation AuroraOperation Aurora was a cyber attack which began in mid-2009 and continued through December 2009. The attack was first publicly disclosed by Google on January 12, 2010, in a blog post. In the blog post, Google said the attack originated in China...
, was launched from China against GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
and over 20 other companies. Google said the attacks originated from China and that it would "review the feasibility" of its business operations in China following the incident. According to Google, at least 20 other companies in various sectors had been targeted by the attacks. McAfee spokespersons claim that "this is the highest profile attack of its kind that we have seen in recent memory."
- On April 7, 2009, The PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
announced they spent more than $100 million in the last six months responding to and repairing damage from cyber attacks and other computer network problems.
- On April 1, 2009, U.S. lawmakers pushed for the appointment of a White House cyber security "czar" to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyber attacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time.
- On February 9, 2009, the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
announced that it will conduct a review of the nation's cyber security to ensure that the Federal government of the United StatesFederal government of the United StatesThe federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
cyber security initiatives are appropriately integrated, resourced and coordinated with the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the private sector.
- In 2008, a hacking incident occurred on a U.S. Military facility in the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. United States Deputy Secretary of DefenseUnited States Deputy Secretary of DefenseThe Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Deputy Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate...
William J. Lynn IIIWilliam J. Lynn IIIWilliam J. Lynn III is a former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Before that he was Under Secretary of Defense and a lobbyist for Raytheon.-Biography:...
had the PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
release a document, which reflected a "malicious code" on a USB flash driveUSB flash driveA flash drive is a data storage device that consists of flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus interface. flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g...
spread undetected on both classifiedClassifiedClassified may refer to:*Classified information, sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular classes of people*Classified advertising*Classified , rapper from Halifax, Nova Scotia...
and unclassified Pentagon systems, establishing a digital beachheadBeachheadBeachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
, from which data could be transferred to servers under foreign control. "It was a network administrator's worst fear: a rogue program operating silently, poised to deliver operational plans into the hands of an unknown adversary. This ... was the most significant breach of U.S. military computers ever and it served as an important wake-up call", Lynn wrote in an article for Foreign AffairsForeign AffairsForeign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
.
- In 2007, the United States government suffered an "an espionage Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
" in which an unknown foreign power...broke into all of the high tech agencies, all of the military agencies, and downloaded terabytes of information.
- Titan RainTitan RainTitan Rain was the designation given by the federal government of the United States to a series of coordinated attacks on American computer systems since 2003...
was the U.S. government's designation given to a series of coordinated attacks on American computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
systems since 2003. The attacks were labeled as ChinesePeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in origin, although their precise nature (i.e., state-sponsored espionage, corporate espionage, or random hackerHacker (computer security)In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
attacks) and their real identities (i.e., masked by proxy, zombie computer, spyware/virus infected) remain unknown.
- Systems in the US military and private research institutions were penetrated from March 1998 for almost two years in an incident called Moonlight MazeMoonlight MazeThe name Moonlight Maze refers to an incident in which U.S. officials accidentally discovered a pattern of probing of computer systems at The Pentagon, NASA, United States Department of Energy, private universities, and research labs that had begun in March 1998 and had been going on for nearly two...
. The United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
traced the trail back to a mainframe computer in the former Soviet Union but the sponsor of the attacks is unknown and Russia denies any involvement.
- In 1998, in order for US and NATO to bomb Serbian targets successfully in Kosovo, the USA needed to hack into the Serbian air defense system and trick the Serbian Air Traffic Controllers. The US accomplished its goal so well that there was concern about continuing or escalating the attacks because the US didn't want to hack into any further Serbian targets because of fear of damaging civilian targets.
- In 1991, it was reported by the US Air Force that a computer virus named AF/91AF/91AF/91 was a hoax about a computer virus which was allegedly used in the First Gulf War; its name refers to April Fool's Day.The original article appeared in InfoWorld Magazine on April 1,1991 in article named "Meta-Virus Set to Unleash Plague on Windows 3.0 Users" by John Gantz...
was created and was installed on a printer chip and made its way to Iraq via Amman, Jordan. Its job was to make the Iraqi anti-aircraft guns malfunction; however, according to the story, the central command center was bombed and the virus was destroyed. The virus, however, was found to be a fake.
- In 1982, a computer control system stolen from a Canadian company by Soviet spies caused a Soviet gas pipeline to explode. The code for the control system had been modified by the CIA to include a logic bombLogic bombA logic bomb is a piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met...
which changed the pump speeds to cause the explosion.
Cyberwarfare limitation treaty
AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
General Keith B. Alexander
Keith B. Alexander
General Keith B. Alexander, USA is the current Director, National Security Agency , Chief, Central Security Service and Commander, United States Cyber Command. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, U.S. Army from 2003 to 2005...
endorsed talks with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
over a proposal to limit military attacks in cyberspace, representing a significant shift in U.S. policy.
See also
- Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional)Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional)Air Force Cyber Command was a proposed United States Air Force Major Command that existed only in provisional status...
- Computer insecurityComputer insecurityComputer insecurity refers to the concept that a computer system is always vulnerable to attack, and that this fact creates a constant battle between those looking to improve security, and those looking to circumvent security.-Security and systems design:...
- Cyber OperationsCyber OperationsCyber Operations is a classification of military operations that use of Computer Network Attack , Computer Network Defense ,Computer Network Exploitation against an enemy to achieve military objectives.- History :...
- Cyber spyingCyber spyingCyber spying or Cyber espionage is the act or practice of obtaining secrets without the permission of the holder of the information , from individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments and enemies for personal, economic, political or military advantage using illegal exploitation methods on...
- Cyber terrorism
- Cyberwarfare by Russian state
- Defense Information Systems NetworkDefense Information Systems NetworkThe Defense Information System Network has been the United States Department of Defense's enterprise network for providing data, video and voice services for 40 years....
- Denial-of-service attackDenial-of-service attackA denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...
- Electronic warfareElectronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
- EspionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
- Hacker (computer security)Hacker (computer security)In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
- iWarIWariWar is the term used by NATO to describe a form of Internet-based warfare.-iWar comparisons:iWar is distinct from cyber-warfare, cyber-terrorism and information warfare. These refer to sensitive military and critical infrastructure assets, and to battlefield communications and satellite intelligence...
- Information warfareInformation warfareThe term Information Warfare is primarily an American concept involving the use and management of information technology in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent...
- List of cyber attack threat trends
- Penetration testing
- Proactive Cyber DefenceProactive Cyber DefenceProactive Cyber Defence means acting in anticipation to oppose an attack against computers and networks. Proactive cyber defence will most often require additional security from internet service providers....
- Siberian pipeline sabotageSiberian pipeline sabotageThe Siberian pipeline sabotage refers to the alleged 1982 sabotage of the Soviet Urengoy–Surgut–Chelyabinsk natural gas pipeline by the CIA as a part of a policy to counter Soviet theft of American technology.- Background :...
- Signals intelligence
- Chinese Intelligence Operations in the United StatesChinese intelligence operations in the United StatesThe People's Republic of China has and is currently using a widespread effort to acquire U.S. military technology and classified information. To fulfill its long-term military development goals, the PRC uses a variety of methods to obtain U.S. technology; including espionage, the exploitation of...
- Chinese Information Operations and Warfare
- Economic and Industrial EspionageIndustrial espionageIndustrial espionage, economic espionage or corporate espionage is a form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security purposes...
- U.S. Cyber CommandUnited States Cyber CommandUnited States Cyber Command is an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to United States Strategic Command. The command is located in Fort Meade, Maryland and led by General Keith B. Alexander. USCYBERCOM centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and...
- Army Cyber Command
- Fleet Cyber CommandUnited States Tenth FleetThe Tenth Fleet is a functional formation of the United States Navy responsible for the Navy's cyber warfare programs. It was first created as an anti submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War...
- Air Forces Cyber Command
- Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace CommandUnited States Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace CommandThe United States Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps to protect critical infrastructure from cyberwarfare...