DOD wants in on protecting civilian infrastructure

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told the security industry at the RSA Conference that protecting cyberspace is a cooperative effort between the government and the private sector, and that the Defense Department is preparing to play an active role in both military and civilian systems.

The top threat to the DOD is assaults on its military networks. “That’s our problem,” he said. “We know how to deal with that.” But a second serious threat is to the critical civilian infrastructure on which the DOD depends. “We want to play a role in defending that as well,” Carter said.

Carter did not spell out the details of the military’s role in defending civilian systems, but he urged the industry to support pending cybersecurity legislation that would encourage and enable greater information sharing between government and the private sector.

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Cyber Defense

The US military is preparing for 21st Century electronic warfare and cyber terrorism. A joint US Cyber Command and four service cyber commands have been set up.

Their mission is to defend American military networks and civilian American infrastructure from cyber terrorism and from foreign government hackers.

The officers leading these cyber commands explain how they are organized, how they operate, and how they will protect the United States from foreign military hackers, intelligence agencies, and cyber terrorists.