Editor’s Note: The following report is excerpted from Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin, the premium online newsletter published by the founder of WND. Subscriptions are $99 a year or, for monthly trials, just $9.95 per month for credit card users, and provide instant access for the complete reports.
WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense is not prepared for a cyber war against an “advanced adversary” who could attack critical missions – and there may not be enough money to get ready, Michael Gilmore, Pentagon director of Operational Test and Evaluation, according to Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
In a report, Gilmore said that the Defense Department’s ability to halt cyber attacks has declined in some cases even though there has been some progress in network defense.
The problems showed up during recent exercises.
“The cyber threat portrayed during assessed exercises remains consistently below that expected from a nation-state level adversary,” the report said.
The exercise also revealed a decline in, among other things, the use of backup files and systems, proper audit logging and effective use of antivirus tools and software.
In proposing changes, Gilmore said that there will be upgrades to capabilities and the infrastructure of the Joint Information Operations Range but added that budget cutbacks will “likely limit the speed with which these important capabilities are acquired.”
Just as the Pentagon has announced its vulnerability to cyber attack, the Chinese have undertaken a cyber attack on the Defense Department’s Common Access Cards with technology that can steal information from military networks while soldiers work at their desks.
According to sources, the new cyber weapon can get inside individual computers after users open a standard PDF e-mail file.
- United States/Iran: Bunker-busters or nukes?
- Russia/Syria: New fighter jets
- Israel/Jordan: Calls to shut down embassy in Amman
- European Union/Iran: Costs of pre-emptive move
- China/Iran: China’s make or break
Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe with Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence news source edited and published by the founder of WND.
For the complete report and full immediate access to Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin, subscribe now.
