Will President Obama Use America's Cyber-arsenal Against Russia?

New York Times: Obama Confronts Complexity of Using a Mighty Cyberarsenal Against Russia

WASHINGTON — Over the past four months, American intelligence agencies and aides to President Obama assembled a menu of options to respond to Russia’s hacking during the election, ranging from the obvious — exposing President Vladimir V. Putin’s financial ties to oligarchs — to the innovative, including manipulating the computer code that Russia uses in designing its cyberweapons.

But while Mr. Obama vowed on Friday to “send a clear message to Russia” as both a punishment and a deterrent, some of the options were rejected as ineffective, others as too risky. If the choices had been better, one of the aides involved in the debate noted recently, the president would have acted by now.

In his last weeks in office, that Situation Room debate has confronted a naturally cautious president with a complex calculus that President-elect Donald J. Trump will soon inherit: how to use the world’s most powerful cyberarsenal at a moment when the United States, as the election showed, remains highly vulnerable.

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Update #1: Barack Obama promises retaliation against Russia over hacking during US election (The Guardian)
Update #2: Barack Obama suggests US could launch cyber weapon against Russia over hacking claims (The Independent)
Update #3: Obama, Rapping Putin, Says US Could Strike Back on Cyber (AP)

WNU Editor: With only a month left in his term, I doubt that President Obama is going to start a cyberwar against Russia.  But as this New York Times post reveals, President Obama's past responses to cyber attacks has been non-existent. This lack of a response only encourages more cyber attacks .... and as for his his latest remarks .... one has to wonder if he is using this excuse (among many) on why Hillary Clinton lost the election. On a side note, President Obama has always touted America's cyber fighting capabilities .... Obama says USA has world's biggest and best cyber arsenal (Register) .... but some have been wondering if this is all just talk .... U.S. cyber arsenal is smaller than imagine (The Hill).