TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: US Air Force to Guard Cyberspace

US Air Force to Guard Cyberspace

Grant Gross (idg@telecom-digest.org)
Fri, 9 Dec 2005 16:49:17 -0600

by Grant Gross, IDG News Service

WASHINGTON-- The U.S. Air Force's goals now include "fighting" in
cyberspace, according to a new mission statement released this week.

A cyberspace security responsibility was newly included in the mission
statement, released Wednesday. The new mission statement, intended to
set the current and future direction of the Air Force, reads: "The
mission of the United States Air Force is to deliver sovereign options
for the defense of the United States of America and its global
interests -- to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace."

A story on the Air Force Web site quotes a letter to airmen from
Michael Wynne, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. T. Michael
Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff, saying U.S. enemies will use
any means to strike at the country and it is the Air Force's calling
to "dominate" air, space and cyberspace.

Details Promised

The Air Force is the first of the five branches of the U.S. military
to include fighting in cyberspace as part of its core mission.

However, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has advocated training
the military to also defend cyberspace. The government has also warned
of potential virtual attacks in response to conventional military
action.

"We have quite a few of our Airmen dedicated to cyberspace ... from
security awareness, making sure the networks can't be penetrated, as
well as figuring out countermeasures," the Air Force-written story
quotes Wynne as saying. "The Air Force is a natural leader in the
cyber world and we thought it would be best to recognize that talent."

An Air Force spokesperson declined to further elaborate, saying Wynne
was tentatively scheduled to talk about the new mission statement in a
press conference next week.

The term, "sovereign options," was also new to the mission statement,
according to the Air Force Web site.

Copyright 2005 PC World Communications, Inc.

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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I wonder if this means that someday,
Air Force guys will investigate hackers, etc. PAT]

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