Saturday, August 1, 2015

The Pentagon Wants Cyber-Weapons That Are The Equivalent To A WMD

L.A. Times: Pentagon seeks cyber-weapons strong enough to deter attacks

The folks who brought the world the mushroom cloud are hard at work at a new project – coming up with cyber-weapons so strong that their very existence would deter foreign governments from attacking U.S. databases and critical computer systems.

The idea is to try to adapt a military concept that helped keep the world safe from nuclear bombings during the Cold War to the digital battlefield of the 21st century.

For four decades, the U.S. and the Soviet Union built up massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons but never used them. Part of the reason was the belief on both sides that any attack would be met with an equally devastating counterstrike. Military planners called the idea mutually assured destruction.

Today, plans for “cyber deterrence” aim to develop something analogous for the digital era.

Update: Military still dealing with cyberattack 'mess' -- CNN

WNU Editor: The ultimate cyber-WMD will be a cyber weapon that will completely fry the computer networks of  another country .... while leaving everyone else untouched. Is such a capability possible? My guess is that this is exactly what the Pentagon is looking at right now. Of course the question arises .... if it is possible to develop such a cyber-WMD .... how will you test it?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

"The Pentagon Wants Cyber-Weapons That Are The Equivalent To A WMD"

If it is equivalent, then it will have or may have mass casualties, such as shutting down the electrical grid.

Sooner or later someone will go there.

Heber said...

Very simple, test in an area of conflict which one is not envolve. African conflicts most likely.