WASHINGTON  - The United States faces a growing threat of a “cyber-Pearl Harbour” and has drafted new rules for the military that would enable it to move aggressively against digital attacks, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said late Thursday. The amended rules of engagement underline the need to defend Defence Department computer networks, “but also to be prepared to defend the nation and our national interests against an attack in or through cyberspace,” he said. Citing a mounting cyber danger that could cripple the country’s vital infrastructure, Panetta told an audience in New York: “We won’t succeed in preventing a cyber attack through improved Defences alone.”
“If we detect an imminent threat of attack that will cause significant physical destruction or kill American citizens, we need to have the option to take action to defend the nation when directed by the president,” he said. “For these kinds of scenarios, the department has developed the capability to conduct effective operations to counter threats to our national interests.” Although he avoided the word “offensive” to describe operations or capabilities, Panetta’s speech clearly implied that the military would be empowered to take the initiative in the cyber realm. Officials offered no further details, but as former CIA director, Panetta reportedly helped oversee an unprecedented cyber sabotage campaign that targeted Iran’s uranium enrichment program.