A new military cybercommand

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered the creation of a command this week that will defend military networks against computer attacks and develop offensive cyberweapons. It was a giant leap forward for the federal government that has long talked about the need for better cyber defenses, and has dealt with an increasing number of attacks against both military and civilian targets.

Gates also ordered that this system be ready to help safeguard civilian systems. And he recommended that the new command be led by the director of the National Security Agency.

But there are issues of authorities that haven't been cleared up. "What authorities does DoD have to do things outside the dot-mil space?" James A. Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, asked the Washington Post.

The command will be launched this October, and be fully operational by October 2010. The big question here is whether the federal government is raising the stakes for more cyberattacks or insulating the military from a broader range of attacks that take place daily at U.S. military sites around the world. Does the military have what it takes to fight a new kind of warfare, and does it have the budget to put advanced cyberprotections in place?

For more on the new cybersecurity command:
- check out this Washington Post article