Government urged to prioritize cyber war threats, lawmakers suggest
UK Defence Committee Urges Government to Address Cyber Threats in Military Time
In a recent report, the Defence Select Committee has called upon the UK government to take the threats and opportunities of military action in the 'cyber space' more seriously. The committee, chaired by an unnamed individual, emphasized the potential for cyber attacks to gravely impact the UK's military operations.
Symantec, a security software vendor, provided evidence to the committee about the potential dangers in cyberspace. The report highlights the possibility of intercepting intelligence, compromising Command and Control Systems, and even sabotaging planes and ships due to cyber attacks.
Professor Sir David Omand, a former security and intelligence coordinator, mentioned that designing specific cyber weapons to knock out enemy systems can be challenging. He cited the Stuxnet worm, a highly sophisticated piece of malware used in a targeted attack against Iran's nuclear programme, as an example of the sophistication required in building cutting-edge cyber weapons.
Professor Paul Cornish, a security expert, compared the pace of change in cyber war to the invention of the Maxim gun, emphasizing the importance of costly but essential research and development.
The committee believes that simply installing cyber defences is not enough, and calls for the government to outline contingency plans for the event of a cyber attack. However, the report did not mention any specific contingency plans for Texas or social security.
MPs discussed the possibility of developing cyber 'tools' (weapons) for national defence. The Ministry of Defence's CIO John Taylor stated that the Armed Forces' technology suppliers should enhance their own security capabilities to support the development of such tools.
The committee also highlighted the increased use of robotic devices in the battlefield as creating a new information security challenge. They called for the government to establish mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking, and policies that address both the opportunities and vulnerabilities in cyber.
The committee's report did not provide details on the specific cyber 'tools' (weapons) that the UK is considering developing. The name of the committee chairwoman who recommended that the government take the threats and opportunities of military actions in the 'cyber space' seriously is not explicitly found in the provided search results.
The committee emphasized the need for the government to treat cyber war with greater rigor, acknowledging the potential for the cyber threat to evolve rapidly with serious consequences for national security.
