Defending against a cyber-war

    Any number of books and films focusing on the possibility that nuclear war could occur accidentally, from “Fail-Safe” to “Dr. Strangelove,” amused and often worried Americans during the decades when atomic weapons seemed to be a clear and present danger. Terms such as “red phone” — the direct telephone line between the president of the United States and the leader of the Soviet Union — were familiar to many people.


    Now, a new danger, one not as terrifying as nuclear holocaust but still very real, has arisen. It is the possibility of an accidental war in cyberspace.


    Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., head of the Air Force’s cyberoperations command, discussed the possibility in a speech to the Association for Intelligence Officers.


    Elder, formerly of Minot Air Force Base, explained that for some time, U.S. defense officials were focused on defending computer and other communications networks against attacks intended to disrupt them. Such assaults could be launched by other countries or by organizations such as terrorist groups. As the Pentagon is well aware from experience with some attempts to infiltrate its computer systems, even a determined individual can cause damage.


    Now, however, defense officials are considering offensive cyberwarfare tactics, Elder said. They would be used against enemies in wartime.


    But the question is coming up, in Elder’s words: “What do we consider to be an act of war in cyberspace?”


    In terms of nuclear weapons, the answer to what constitutes an act of war is simple and obvious. It is not so clean-cut when computer and other communications networks are involved. For example, should another country “hack” into a Department of Defense Web site, what level of retaliation would be used? Would U.S. experts attempt to shut down that nation’s defense — or, perhaps, banking — systems?


    During an era in which a “red modem” in the Oval Office may be an important piece of equipment, questions such as those posed by Elder need to be addressed — quickly and in concert with leaders of other nations.