Cyber warfare training replaces traditional combat

The war games at West Point are changing because soldiers today are called upon to do more than maneuver around a battlefield in a tank. Training for warfare online is becoming just as important as training in the field, where the dirt, dust and mud could make combat a tough place to succeed.

Among the tasks required are establishing a computer network and keeping it operating while the enemy is tryng to take it down. The military knows it has to work harder training soldiers in cybercombat: The Defense Department last week graduated only 80 students from its cyberwar schools.

That low number prompted Defense Secretary Robert Gates to complain that the Pentagon is "desperately short of people who have capabilities in this area in all the services, and we have to address it."

The reason is simple: When the military deploys to a combat zone, establishing a secure Internet connection is an early priority, and protecting the connection from hackers is an equally important task.

For more on the importance of the military's cyber defenses:
- check out this New York Times article