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Absolutely. The military should have both defensive and offensive capabilities in electronic warfare, just as in traditional warfare. DDOS capabilities to knock attackers off-line should certainly be a priority. If one believes that it should be policy to “walk softly and carry a big stick”, DDOS for offensive capabilities should also be a priority.
A Slashdot post pointed me to the Armed Forces Journal article, written by Col. Charles W. Williamson III, proposing that AF.mil should create a botnet for US DDOS capabilities.
Here are some points to consider:
- The botnet would be US military owned: it would not consist of civilian compromised computers
- The botnet may be linked to the US counterattack system that detects incoming attacks for fast replies
- The botnet, under most circumstances, would not attack US civilian computers
The author really hits the mark head-on when he writes that “the biggest challenge will be political.”Accidents, “false/positive” attacks, civilian and worldwide traffic disruption are all reasons to believe such a botnet should not be created. It’s my opinion that Co. Williamson’s remark that other governments are creating this capability and we are falling behind is most likely true. I wonder how such a system may become part of Chertoff’s vision for a early warning cyber defense system (which, while technically difficult, is also a very good idea).
The article is a very interesting read and I highly recommend it. While corporate US security is generally not concerned with creating or returning direct technical strikes against those whom attack our system, it’s my belief that the ability for the US military to have DDOS as a cyber weapon is important and central to America’s military interest and economic well being.
