US ‘to view major cyber attacks as acts of war’

[Playinghardball]

Source AFP via Raw Story
By Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Pentagon has adopted a new strategy that will classify major cyber attacks as acts of war, paving the way for possible military retaliation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said the Pentagon plans to unveil its first-ever strategy regarding cyber warfare next month, in part as a warning to foes that may try to sabotage the country's electricity grid, subways or pipelines.

"If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks," it quoted a military official as saying.

The newspaper, citing three officials who had seen the document, said the the strategy would maintain that the existing international rules of armed conflict -- embodied in treaties and customs -- would apply in cyberspace.

More at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/31/us-to-view-major-cyber-attacks-as-acts-of-war/

[Snoutport]

1. Doesn't the president have new powers for war stuff?

So, if someone hacks, does that mean the president can call it war and use the military to destroy them?

[phantom power]

3. Sounds like that depends on whether it is a major attack.

Hacking into your sister's computer == no.

Shutting off power to NYC == yes?

[Snoutport]

12. laws are supposed to explain the grey areas, not make them!

[Boojatta]

2. If a computer were in control of the government of Iran ...

and if feeding The Satanic Verses into the computer caused a malfunction in the computer, then would the international community view the publication of Salman Rushdie's book as a cyber attack against Iran?

[Fumesucker]

5. I think Atlas Shrugged would do it a whole lot faster and better.. n/t

[Tesha]

4. Does that include any attacks that the NSA/CIA/DIA/etc. might launch? (NT)

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Yes. Those are simply acts of war by 'OUR' government, against US.

[piratefish08]

7. can we just admit that there is just no problem too small to go to war over.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. "Bring it on", "Smoke 'em out". Same song different singer.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken

[dipsydoodle]

9. Very clever

They simply announce without proof who appeared to do what and act accordingly.

[RC]

10. More excuses to bomb brown people.

The excuses for Iraq and Afghanistan are wearing a bit thin. We need new excuses for war to keep our MIC in the gravy.

Our military people are too stupid to realize these attracts against us are nothing more than retaliation in a war we started and keep fighting. We need to stop antagonizing and killing everybody else, bring our troops home and then maybe peace will break out.

[Javaman]

11. Oh really? so when is the admin going to start bombing china?

or russia?

I thought as much. Just blame some poor bastard in the middle east instead. Makes for better press and doesn't further upset the world economy.

Wake me up when they actually tell the truth.