Cyber Policy...

November 2009

U.S. cyber war policy needs new focus, experts say. U.S. policies toward defending against cyber warfare need to take a different approach than the government has against other forms of attack, three cybersecurity experts said on October 29. It will be difficult for the U.S. government to voice and follow through with a policy of cyber deterrence, like it has with nuclear attacks, said a senior management scientist specializing in cybersecurity at Rand, a nonprofit think tank. First, it’s difficult to identify attackers, especially when some nations appear to be sponsoring private attackers, he said during a meeting of the Congressional Cyber Caucus in Washington. But it may also be difficult for the U.S. to follow through with threats of counterattacks, when U.S. cyber experts don’t know how much damage the attacks could do, he added. With cyberattacks, some countries may be willing to gamble on the U.S. capability, unlike with nuclear attacks, he said. “Any deterrence policy is designed to scare people away,” he said. “The problem is, though, if you can’t execute it, you’re bluffing. It’s possible to believe people will call our bluff. If it turns out we can’t do what we say, we not only look embarrassed for ourselves, but we end up calling all of our other deterrents into question.” The senior management scientist and two other cybersecurity experts, talking to members of the Congress and their staff members, said that crafting the right cyber war policy will be difficult. The forum was organized by members of Congress interested in cyber defense policy.