U.S. takes a look at arming itself for cyber-warfare

Never let it be said that the U.S. government makes snappy decisions about arming itself for cyber-warfare. Julian Barnes at the Los Angeles Times reports that the military is currently debating whether or not to develop the ability for the U.S. government to go on the offensive during a potential cyber-attack rather than simply defend U.S. computer systems in case of cyber-warfare. Barnes' article points out that the recent cyber-attacks associated with the conflict in Georgia have escalated the debate, which "reflects a newfound uncertainty over the state of global cyber-warfare capabilities."

Most stunning about the article is that this is just now being discussed by the military. The concept of cyber-warfare certainly isn't anything new, and the issue with attacks on Georgia's computer systems and Web sites shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, much less the U.S. government. The concept of cyber-warfare has been around since at least the late 1970s or early 1980s (anyone else remember War Games?), and discussions took place after the 9/11 attacks questioning the readiness of the U.S. to respond to a cyber-attack, either defensively or offensively.

In early 2003, PBS produced an in-depth look at cyber-warfare as part of its ongoing Frontline series called Cyberwar. It detailed what a cyber-attack would look like, from early surveillance efforts any web administrator could notice to pinpointing the exact systems that cyber-attacks would target (emergency 911 services, power grid, etc.), and it seemed that the U.S. government had a fair handle on what to look for as well as what could be done to combat it. It seems unthinkable that in five years, the issue of whether to respond in kind online is still up for debate when responding in kind in a physical space can be decided on in a timelier fashion.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

• Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
• Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
• Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs