SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Plan X: US Military Building Digital 'Armored Tank' for Cyber Battlefield
Envisioned capabilities would include a real-time 'map of the internet' and ability to thwart and launch cyber attacks
May 31, 2012
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (known as DARPA), the cyber-security arm of the Pentagon, has visions of building the cyberspace equivalent of an 'armored tank' to engage on the global battlefield of digital warfare, according to a report today by the Washington Post. The previously unreported on project has been dubbed 'Plan X' and would be the most ambitious cyberwarfare project yet initated by the US military.
"If they can do it, it's a really big deal," Herbert S. Lin, a cybersecurity expert with the National Research Council of the National Academies, told the Post. "If they achieve it, they're talking about being able to dominate the digital battlefield just like they do the traditional battlefield."
"Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank."
According to the report, the five-year, $110 million research program will have as one of its main goals the "creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includes tens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means."
* * *
Washington Post: With Plan X, Pentagon seeks to spread U.S. military might to cyberspace
The five-year, $110 million research program will begin seeking proposals this summer. Among the goals will be the creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includestens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means.
Another goal is the creation of a robust operating system capable of launching attacks and surviving counterattacks. Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank; they compare existing computer operating systems to sport-utility vehicles -- well suited to peaceful highways but too vulnerable to work on battlefields.
The architects of Plan X also hope to develop systems that could give commanders the ability to carry out speed-of-light attacks and counterattacks using preplanned scenarios that do not involve human operators manually typing in code -- a process considered much too slow.
[...]
Plan X also envisions the development of technology that enables a commander to plan, launch and control cyberattacks.
A commander wanting to hit a computer that controls a target -- a strategically important drawbridge in enemy territory, for example -- should be able to predict and quantify battle damage while considering the timing or other constraints on a possible attack, said Dan Roelker, Plan X program manager.
Cyberwar experts worry about unintended consequences of attacks that might damage the flow of electricity to civilian homes or hospitals. A targeting system also should allow operators to stop a strike or reroute it before it damages systems that are not targeted -- a fail-safe mechanism that experts say would be very difficult to engineer.
DARPA will not prescribe what should be represented on the digital map.
# # #
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (known as DARPA), the cyber-security arm of the Pentagon, has visions of building the cyberspace equivalent of an 'armored tank' to engage on the global battlefield of digital warfare, according to a report today by the Washington Post. The previously unreported on project has been dubbed 'Plan X' and would be the most ambitious cyberwarfare project yet initated by the US military.
"If they can do it, it's a really big deal," Herbert S. Lin, a cybersecurity expert with the National Research Council of the National Academies, told the Post. "If they achieve it, they're talking about being able to dominate the digital battlefield just like they do the traditional battlefield."
"Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank."
According to the report, the five-year, $110 million research program will have as one of its main goals the "creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includes tens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means."
* * *
Washington Post: With Plan X, Pentagon seeks to spread U.S. military might to cyberspace
The five-year, $110 million research program will begin seeking proposals this summer. Among the goals will be the creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includestens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means.
Another goal is the creation of a robust operating system capable of launching attacks and surviving counterattacks. Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank; they compare existing computer operating systems to sport-utility vehicles -- well suited to peaceful highways but too vulnerable to work on battlefields.
The architects of Plan X also hope to develop systems that could give commanders the ability to carry out speed-of-light attacks and counterattacks using preplanned scenarios that do not involve human operators manually typing in code -- a process considered much too slow.
[...]
Plan X also envisions the development of technology that enables a commander to plan, launch and control cyberattacks.
A commander wanting to hit a computer that controls a target -- a strategically important drawbridge in enemy territory, for example -- should be able to predict and quantify battle damage while considering the timing or other constraints on a possible attack, said Dan Roelker, Plan X program manager.
Cyberwar experts worry about unintended consequences of attacks that might damage the flow of electricity to civilian homes or hospitals. A targeting system also should allow operators to stop a strike or reroute it before it damages systems that are not targeted -- a fail-safe mechanism that experts say would be very difficult to engineer.
DARPA will not prescribe what should be represented on the digital map.
# # #
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (known as DARPA), the cyber-security arm of the Pentagon, has visions of building the cyberspace equivalent of an 'armored tank' to engage on the global battlefield of digital warfare, according to a report today by the Washington Post. The previously unreported on project has been dubbed 'Plan X' and would be the most ambitious cyberwarfare project yet initated by the US military.
"If they can do it, it's a really big deal," Herbert S. Lin, a cybersecurity expert with the National Research Council of the National Academies, told the Post. "If they achieve it, they're talking about being able to dominate the digital battlefield just like they do the traditional battlefield."
"Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank."
According to the report, the five-year, $110 million research program will have as one of its main goals the "creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includes tens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means."
* * *
Washington Post: With Plan X, Pentagon seeks to spread U.S. military might to cyberspace
The five-year, $110 million research program will begin seeking proposals this summer. Among the goals will be the creation of an advanced map that details the entirety of cyberspace -- a global domain that includestens of billions of computers and other devices -- and updates itself continuously. Such a map would help commanders identify targets and disable them using computer code delivered through the Internet or other means.
Another goal is the creation of a robust operating system capable of launching attacks and surviving counterattacks. Officials say this would be the cyberspace equivalent of an armored tank; they compare existing computer operating systems to sport-utility vehicles -- well suited to peaceful highways but too vulnerable to work on battlefields.
The architects of Plan X also hope to develop systems that could give commanders the ability to carry out speed-of-light attacks and counterattacks using preplanned scenarios that do not involve human operators manually typing in code -- a process considered much too slow.
[...]
Plan X also envisions the development of technology that enables a commander to plan, launch and control cyberattacks.
A commander wanting to hit a computer that controls a target -- a strategically important drawbridge in enemy territory, for example -- should be able to predict and quantify battle damage while considering the timing or other constraints on a possible attack, said Dan Roelker, Plan X program manager.
Cyberwar experts worry about unintended consequences of attacks that might damage the flow of electricity to civilian homes or hospitals. A targeting system also should allow operators to stop a strike or reroute it before it damages systems that are not targeted -- a fail-safe mechanism that experts say would be very difficult to engineer.
DARPA will not prescribe what should be represented on the digital map.
# # #
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy