THE TOP OF THE NEWS (reprinted here from http://www.sans.org/newsletters/newsbites/newsbites.php?vol=14&issue=55&rss=Y#sID200
–Pentagon Seeking Authority for Cyber Command to Take Action on
Non-Military Systems in Emergencies
(August 9, 2012)
A proposed change to the US military’s standing rules of engagement
(SROE) would give cyber experts employed by the military the authority
to take action on certain non-military computer systems. The SROE
provide guidance for military commanders when they find their troops or
systems are under attack and there is not time to consult the president
or secretary of defense if action is to be taken before serious harm
occurs. Cyberspace is posing special issues for SROE for a number of
reasons: the time frame of cyberattacks; the difficulty of identifying
the attackers; and the possibility of collateral damage. Some in the
military would like the Cyber Command to have the authority to disable
servers in foreign countries to prevent malware attacks. The military
currently has the authority to take those actions only within its own
networks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-proposes-more-robust-role-for-its-cyber-specialists/2012/08/09/1e3478ca-db15-11e1-9745-d9ae6098d493_story.html
[Editor’s Note (Pescatore): Back in the 1980s I worked for the US Secret
Service and when using military (not National Guard) personnel
domestically we had to make sure we observed the guidelines around the
Posse Comitatus statute which dictates that such use must “be expressly
authorized by the Constitution or by act of Congress.” It is healthy
that we start the dialog on how this applies to cyber-incidents vs.
hurricanes and the like. The National Guard has traditionally been the
rapid reaction force, with the armed forces staying bound by Posse
Comitatus.]
***
And along the lines of points made in my interview with David E. Martin “Apostles of Power”:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/12178-lawmakers-blast-un-for-handing-us-technology-to-north-korea-iran
***
Just what are they building up to? David E. Martin would say a false flag UUV attack on one of our ships in the Gulf to kick off WWIII… as a result of leaked cyber access to the UUV’s internal tech…