Thursday, November 19, 2009

...In cyberspace, even small adversaries using off-the-shelf technology can cause real problems for U.S. forces, which are already under constant, daily electronic attack from foes who are hard to identify, much less locate. It is the military challenge of the 21st century.

How serious is the threat?

... French Navy fighter aircraft were grounded earlier this year when a computer virus prevented them from downloading flight plans. ... Computers at British Air Force bases and on Navy ships, including an aircraft carrier, were infected. ... Pentagon computers were infected, possibly by a portable device such as a thumb drive, memory stick or flash card. ...

The great danger for the military is that its growing dependence on sophisticated electronic networks makes it increasingly vulnerable to cyber attack. ...

The ultimate nightmare for a war machine that depends on a sophisticated electronic grid to function is to lose that grid, even for short periods of time. Preventing an electronic Pearl Harbor must be a prime Pentagon mission.

-- Pensacola News Journal