ktlight
1st June 2011, 08:41
FYI:
A cyber-weapons programme to counter growing threats to national security from cyberspace is being developed by the Government, it emerged today.
The scheme will provide the UK with a 'toolbox' of offensive options to fight online hackers targeting the country's critical services and government departments.
Armed forces minister Nick Harvey admitted that cyber-weapons have become 'an integral part of the country's armoury' as he admitted the programme exists.
'Action in cyberspace will form part of the future battlefield,' he told the Guardian.
'We need a toolbox of capabilities and that's what we are currently developing.'
The exact nature of the weapons being developed is being kept secret, but Mr Harvey confirmed they would be governed by the same rules that apply to the deployment of other military assets.
'The circumstances and manner in which we would use them are broadly analogous to what we would do in any other domain,' he added.
The minister said that digital networks were now 'at the heart of our transport, power and communications systems', and this reliance had 'brought the capacity for warfare to cyberspace'.
'The consequences of a well planned, well executed attack against our digital infrastructure could be catastrophic,' he said.
'With nuclear or biological weapons, the technical threshold is high. With cyber the finger hovering over the button could be anyone from a state to a student.'
The Cabinet Office and the Cyber Security Operations Centre at GCHQ have taken the lead on the project, with the possibility of the Ministry of Defence providing input in the future.
source
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1392622/Cyber-warfare-Britain-developing-virtual-weapons-combat-hacker-threat.html
A cyber-weapons programme to counter growing threats to national security from cyberspace is being developed by the Government, it emerged today.
The scheme will provide the UK with a 'toolbox' of offensive options to fight online hackers targeting the country's critical services and government departments.
Armed forces minister Nick Harvey admitted that cyber-weapons have become 'an integral part of the country's armoury' as he admitted the programme exists.
'Action in cyberspace will form part of the future battlefield,' he told the Guardian.
'We need a toolbox of capabilities and that's what we are currently developing.'
The exact nature of the weapons being developed is being kept secret, but Mr Harvey confirmed they would be governed by the same rules that apply to the deployment of other military assets.
'The circumstances and manner in which we would use them are broadly analogous to what we would do in any other domain,' he added.
The minister said that digital networks were now 'at the heart of our transport, power and communications systems', and this reliance had 'brought the capacity for warfare to cyberspace'.
'The consequences of a well planned, well executed attack against our digital infrastructure could be catastrophic,' he said.
'With nuclear or biological weapons, the technical threshold is high. With cyber the finger hovering over the button could be anyone from a state to a student.'
The Cabinet Office and the Cyber Security Operations Centre at GCHQ have taken the lead on the project, with the possibility of the Ministry of Defence providing input in the future.
source
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1392622/Cyber-warfare-Britain-developing-virtual-weapons-combat-hacker-threat.html