Cyberattack Reminds U.S. Of Vulnerabilites

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Omaha World-Herald
May 24, 2007
Pg. 3B
A recent assault in Estonia shows the need to invest in cyberwarfare, the Air Force secretary tells an Omaha conference.
By Tim Elfrink, World-Herald Staff Writer
A recent attack on computer networks in Estonia, a NATO ally, demonstrates the need for more U.S. investment in cyberwarfare, the secretary of the Air Force said Wednesday in Omaha.
Estonian officials blamed Russia for the massive cyberattack earlier this month, which crippled government and corporate Web sites in the Baltic nation for about two weeks. Russia has denied involvement.
The attacks show how effectively a similar electronic attack could disrupt U.S. security, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said.
"This is another useful reminder that we are neither alone nor that far ahead in cyberspace. Our own nation's neural network resides in cyberspace," he said.
Wynne spoke to more than 300 industry representatives and military personnel gathered in Omaha this week for a conference on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, known as ISR.
The conference was organized by Offutt Air Force Base's 55th Wing, which has conducted ISR missions over Southwest Asia and the Middle East with its RC-135 aircraft for more than 16 years.
Wynne praised the efforts of the 55th Wing, calling the unit an "excellent example" of the work done worldwide by Air Force personnel.
As the U.S. battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nation's leaders shouldn't forget investments in a robust military that is available to back up diplomatic efforts elsewhere, Wynne said.
"Talking to North Korea is a wonderful thing, talking to the Chinese is a wonderful thing, and I hope it resolves all our issues," he said. "But . . . strong negotiations usually rely on a strong military. The better you can back up your diplomatic threats, the better diplomacy seems to work out."
U.S. Strategic Command, which is headquartered at Offutt, heads the military's efforts to develop offensive and defensive capabilities in cyberspace, and the Air Force recently established its own Cyberspace Command.
"Without cyberspace dominance, all our operations in air and space and on the ground and on the sea will be at risk. Cyberspace demands an effort comparable to the Air Force's global presence in air and space," Wynne said.
 
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