U.S. to shore up its defense network

There is terrorism and then there is its new avatar- Cyber Terrorism. In the film Die Hard 4, for instance, maverick New York cop John McClane is faced with the nightmare scenario of a bunch of ruthless cyber terrorists holding the United States to ransom by crippling its defense systems. Of course, he wins, but the threat of cyber terrorists disrupting the country’s defense grid and leaving the nation open to attack is a chilling possibility, one that has been the staple of a clutch of Hollywood films. So, where do we go from here? Enter the Pentagon, which is now formulating a new policy to ward off any such attack even before it begins.

The task of protecting the nation’s defense networks rests on the shoulder of Air Force General Robert Kehler, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, a sub-unit that saw its debut in May last year. This unit keeps the U.S. cyber defense network safe, as well as takes preventive measures to ward off any threat to the country’s safety and security on land, at sea, and in the air. In July this year, the Department of Defense prepared a plan to protect its 15,000-plus computer networks. It outlined a policy to defend U.S. cyberspace from any kind of threat.

The Department of Defense is taking no chances against an attack from cyberspace. Former Deputy Defense Secretary, William Lynn, believes that as many as 30 countries are arming their militaries with cyber units for taking out enemy computers. Cyber terrorism is capable of destroying critical networks, which keeps a nation’s defense systems at the ready.

The United States has prepared a robust plan to thwart the possibility of a cyber attack. Lynn believes that the U.S. can well hold its own in the event of a cyber attack, saying he considers this to be a very real threat. He added that the U.S. is leaving no stone unturned to secure its defense networks. As compared to Russia and China, he feels that the U.S. still has the edge in cyber warfare, though he would not elaborate.