WASHINGTON—As adversaries to the United States continue to build up their cybercapabilities and use them to intrude on U.S. national security, experts believe it is high time for policymakers to showcase America’s own offensive cyberpower—and demonstrate a willingness to retaliate—so that adversaries will be deterred.
On June 6, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institute hosted an event discussing cybersecurity and cyberdeterrence. It was attended by experts including James Miller, former undersecretary of defense for policy, and William Leigher, retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, among others.
The panelists discussed a report, released earlier this year by the Department of Defense task force on cyberdeterrence, that concluded that the cybercapabilities of potential adversaries have already exceeded the ability of the United States to defend its own systems.
The report made the shocking prediction that such vulnerabilities will continue to persist for at least five to 10 years.
