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U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke to service members about national cybersecurity concerns during a visit last week to U.S. Strategic Command headquarters in Nebraska.
In his address, he discussed key security threats, achievements in the war against terrorism and the future of the defense budget. He warned the soldiers that the largest threat to national security interests lies in cyberspace.
“We have to continue to focus on the threat of cyber attacks,“ the secretary said. “We’re now in a very different world, where we could face a cyber attack that could be the equivalent of Pearl Harbor.”
According to the Defense Department, Panetta explained Stratcom members continue to strengthen U.S. cyber capabilities and defenses, and he reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the U.S. military remains fully mission capable and that service members and their families get the support they need.
“Someone using cyber can take down our power grid system, our financial systems in this country, our government systems [and] our banking systems,” he explained. “They could virtually paralyze this country. We have to be prepared to deal with that.”
“We have to have both a good offense and a good defense with regards to the cyber world,“ he added.
Panetta’s speech reflects recent government actions to strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities. Along with several federally funded cyber proposals, federal agencies continue to invest in information technology advancements to ensure the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructures.
