The Pentagon, government agencies, and numerous private U.S. companies have one thing in common – all have been victimized by cyberattacks. The threats have become so prevalent that the U.S. Cyber Command, a division of the military, calls cyberattacks the latest frontier in warfare. Each year, the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, NSA, and other agencies participate in “Cyber Guard,” a cyber-defense training exercise. This year, the U.S. invited British officials and a number of private companies – banks and energy companies, among them – to participate as well. Participants had to deal with a “major earthquake” striking California, followed by a series of coordinated cyberattacks that encompassed interruptions to gas and oil pipelines, Pentagon network attacks, interference at major ports, and disruptions to the food distribution chain. Rear Admiral Kevin Lunday, director of exercises and training at Cyber Command, told the Wall Street Journal recently, “The question is not whether this kind of scenario will occur, but when it will occur.” And, given the expanding likelihood of other large-scale cyberattacks being aimed at the United States and its allies, U.S. Cyber Command is considering ramping up these three-week cyber security exercise sessions to several times a year. As the Wall Street Journal’s reporting confirms, cyberspace is a dangerous place. Malicious attacks are growing at an alarming pace, creating the need for new specially trained cyber security specialists to help prevent--and deflect--these potentially crippling forays.
