Pentagon Seeks Role in Defending U.S. Civilian CyberspaceApril 15, 2011
The top officer charged with securing the .mil website domain said the U.S.Cyber Command might need congressional approval to monitor civilian networks for signs of cyber attacks, according to an article in NextGov.com. Without such action, the agency is powerless to safeguard U.S. cyberspace, including civilian domains and other government domains, said Cyber Command chief Gen. Keith Alexander at a symposium on cyber threats at the University of Rhode Island. "I do not have the authority to look at what's going on in other government sectors, nor what would happen to critical infrastructures. That means that I can't stop [an assault on nonmilitary networks]," said Alexander. With the Pentagon charged with protecting only the .mil domains while the Department of Homeland Security oversees .gov and civilian domains, there's a gap that could be exploited. The Obama administration still has to present its opinion on how the Pentagon could help protect civilian and government networks without breaking civil rights and privacy laws, according to NextGov.com. "Civil liberties and privacy are not [upheld] at the expense of cybersecurity," said Alexander. "They will benefit from cybersecurity." With a well-structured plan for accountability, Congress could oversee how the military is securing U.S. networks without transgressions. The arrangement would be similar to that between the Pentagon and Homeland, which allows them to share information, security equipment and staff. Privacy officers and lawyers offer guidance to avoid infringing on civil rights or privacy laws, according to the article. The U.S. military has "to have the ability to move seamlessly when our nation is under attack to defend it … The mechanisms for doing that have to be laid out and agreed to," said Alexander. "The laws don't exist in this area." |
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