Cyberwars

When and how to respond to cyber acts of war

As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and in some cases more destructive, at what point should the U.S. flex its muscles and say enough is enough?

Members of two House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittees sought to answer that question during a July 13 hearing on what cyber incidents should be considered acts of war and how the U.S. should respond.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., ranking member of the IT Subcommittee, pointed to the indictment of seven Iranian nationals in March who are charged with breaching the network of a dam in suburban New York. Fortunately, the compromised computers were not connected at the time to the slough that controls water flow. And, if it were, the dam in question is minor and couldn’t cause much damage.