Blog Entry #2: US Bolstering its Cyber Warfare Prowess

LINK1:  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/09/205_119780.html

LINK2: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408838,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

           

Two articles caught my eye as a follow-up to my first posting.  These articles concern the US governments efforts to bolster cyber security.

 

            Since the multiple attacks on US and South Korean interests took place earlier this year, the two countries have increased their concerns about the growing threat North Korea may pose in the realm of cyber warfare.  This is yet another nation that poses a threat to civilian and military infrastructure of the US and its allies.  According to the article, "Korea, US Mull Regular Cyber Warfare Drills," the US and its ally South Korea will begin joint training exercises for cyber warfare.  In my mind, what makes these exercises especially important is the fact that the US has announced that in addition to formulating defense plans, the two nations will "formulate concrete steps to deal with...Korea's nuclear and missile programs."  Similar to what the US and Israel allegedly did in Iran, the US is taking an offensive to deter North Koreas nuclear capabilities.  This is needed for stabilization in the region. 

 

            Closer to home, the US Government, by way of DARPA, is taking steps to advance its cyber warfare prowess.  The article, "DARPA Solicits Ideas for Waging Cyber Warfare," by Stephanie Mlot, talks about DARPA's plan to hold meetings to find and discuss various technologies that can be used to "understand, plan, and manage cyber warfare in large, real-time networks."  The program was given the moniker "Plan X" and will be used by the Defense Department to find technology that can help it dominate cyber warfare.  DARPA will focus on four key areas with Plan X:

·         Understand the cyber battlespace

·         Automatically constructing verifiable and quantifiable cyber operations

·         Developing OSes that can operate in hostile environments

·         Visualizing and interacting with large-scale cyber battlespaces.

 

            These steps that the government is taking are crucial to maintaining the safety of the US and its allies.  More news should come by October on what is going on in South Korea.  The DARPA project will have its first meeting on September 27th.  Some of the meeting is unclassified, so it should be quite interesting to see what morsels are released.  Next week, I hope to look at some of the specific tactics and technology used in cyber warfare.