U.S. Military Prepares For Cyber Attacks On Potential Adversaries

The U.S. military has a new mission: Be ready to launch a cyberattack against potential adversaries, some of whom are stockpiling cyberweapons. Such an attack would likely involve launching massive distributed denial-of-service assaults, unleashing crippling computer viruses or Trojans, and . . .

The U.S. military has a new mission: Be ready to launch a cyberattack against potential adversaries, some of whom are stockpiling cyberweapons. Such an attack would likely involve launching massive distributed denial-of-service assaults, unleashing crippling computer viruses or Trojans, and jamming the enemy's computer systems through electronic radio-frequency interference.

An order from the National Command Authority - backed by President Clinton and Secretary of Defense William Cohen - recently instructed the military to gear up to wage cyberwar.

The ability of the U.S. to conduct such warfare "doesn't exist today," according to a top Army official speaking at a conference in Arlington, Va., last week.

"We see three emerging threats: ballistic missiles, cyberwarfare and space control," said Lt. Gen. Edward Anderson, deputy commander in chief at U.S. Space Command, which was recently assigned the task of creating a cyberattack strategy. "Cyberwarfare is what we might think of as attacks against digital ones and zeros."

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