A recent article released by the US Department of Defense (DoD) spoke of the worst compromise in DoD history, facilitated by what was said to be the unauthorized use of a USB drive. As a result of this incident, the US government has seen fit to step up the DoD involvement, working with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in an effort to protect critical national infrastructure. The full article (requires registration) by WIlliam J. Lynn, Undersecretary of Defense, speaks of the DoD and it's experiences which makes it uniquely qualified for cyberdefense. "Cyberattacks offer a means for potential adversaries to overcome overwhelming U.S. advantages in conventional military power and to do so in ways that are instantaneous and exceedingly hard to trace. Such attacks may not cause the mass casualties of a nuclear strike, but they could paralyze U.S. society all the same," he wrote. "In the long run, hackers' systematic penetration of U.S. universities and businesses could rob the United States of its intellectual property and competitive edge in the global economy."

The announcement by the DoD that within the last 24 months it had suffered it's worst compromise in history would seem embarrassing, but then to announce in the same week that they will become more involved in the protection of national critical infrastructure is disconcerting. The DoD is the US arm for defense of national interests, however I do not believe that makes the DoD the best agency for this role.

I welcome your comment,

tony . carothers at gmail dot com