US needs 'digital warfare force'

The head of America’s National Security Agency says that America needs to build a digital warfare force for the future, according to reports.

Lt Gen Keith Alexander, who also heads the Pentagon’s new Cyber Command, outlined his views in a report for the House Armed Services subcommittee

In it, he stated that the US needed to reorganise its offensive and defensive cyber operations.

The general also said more resources and training were needed.

The report, part of which was outlined in an Associated Press news agency story, is due to be presented to the subcommittee on Tuesday.

During the past six months, the Pentagon spent more than £67m ($100m) responding to and repairing damage from cyber attacks and other network problems.

Gen Keith Alexander’s new department, to be based in Fort Meade in Maryland, will be part of the US Strategic Command – currently responsible for securing the US military’s networks – and will work alongside the US Department of Homeland Security.

It is thought the new department would open in October and be at full strength in 2010.

Lag

A separate document, from the US Air Force’s chief information officer Lt Gen William Shelton, said the US relies heavily on industry efforts to respond to cyber threats which, he says, "does not keep pace with the threat".

The submissions for the House Armed Services subcommittee comes a few days after the National Research Council – part of the United States National Academy of Sciences – said that current US policies on cyber warfare are "ill-formed, lack adequate oversight and require a broad public debate".

The report went on to say that the "undeveloped and uncertain nature" of the US governments cyber warfare policies could lead to them being misused in a possible crisis.

The US administration is currently nearing the end of a 60 day review on cyber-security ordered by President Obama.