Cyber attacks are becoming a growing concern for almost every nation. Both Russia and the United States have faced increased attacks lately and are having difficulty deciding on a course of action to combat and prevent these attacks. In an article from the NY times, officials from both the US as well as Russia commented that Cyberspace will continue to grow as a setting for warfare. Both nations believe t hat in the future these issues will be more important than ever, as countries continually rely more on computer networks every year.
Obama is scheduled to visit Russia within the next couple of weeks. It is believed that the US and Russia will try to develop a defensive plan when they meet next in Russia.
Why is it so important to develop this plan? First of all, if someone can hack our networks, they will gain valuable intelligence which they can use for military and economic benefit. If a countries government leaks intelligence it is only a matter of time before repercussions will occur. Additionally, if someone can hack US governmental systems, that means they can attack the systems with malicious software. Such attacks could set US governmental programs back by months meaning additional costs and loss of progress. In the future we will continue to rely on computers and computer networks more heavily. That is why we must continue to devote personnel and funding to the protection of our delicate networks.
Could a joint effort between Russia and the US to prevent cyber attacks be profitable? Personally I don’t believe both nations would be comfortable having the other in a position to see delicate information. I believe that the talks between the US and Russia will simply focus on finding a generic solution to this problem which each nation can then pursue individually.
