The Pentagon is due to publically release it’s first formal cyber strategy next month, and the understanding is that it’s going to be classifying some kinds of computer sabotage as acts of war; apparently, a serious enough computer attack could be interpreted as a “use of force” that would warrant physical retaliation.
Basically what we’re saying is that the jocks at the Pentagon are tired of nerds hacking their Facebook accounts and want backsies.
Which actually isn’t totally a joke – say the Wall Street Journal guys:
“In part, the Pentagon intends its plan as a warning to potential adversaries of the consequences of attacking the U.S. in this way. “If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks,” said a military official.”
[Source: WSJ]
