Recapping a Busy Week in Cyber Security Across the Globe
In case you missed it, this week the Pentagon released its Annual Report to Congress looking at the military and security developments involving China. According to the New York Times, the report is virtually the first time “the Obama administration has explicitly accused China’s military of mounting attacks on American government computer systems and defense contractors, saying one motive could be to map 'military capabilities that could be exploited during a crisis.'"
The report states that cyberwarfare capabilities could serve Chinese military operations in three key areas.
-
First and foremost, they allow data collection for intelligence and computer network attack purposes.
-
Second, they can be employed to constrain an adversary’s actions or slow response time by targeting network-based logistics, communications, and commercial activities.
-
Third, they can serve as a force multiplier when coupled with kinetic attacks during times of crisis or conflict.
In other cyber security news, the UK is setting up a new £7.5 million government fund as part of the National Cyber-Security Strategy to create two research centers to combat the increasing threat of cyber-attacks.
And finally, this week Japan and the US held the first bilateral comprehensive dialogue on cyber security with the goal of establishing international rule and discussing countermeasures to cyber-attacks.
