Panetta Warns Cyber Threat Growing Quickly

02/06/2013 01:46 PM CST                          Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 1:22 AMThe next Pearl Harbor could be a cyber attack
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2013 - Pentagon officials are concerned about the growing threat of cyber warfare, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told a Georgetown University audience today.

Following a speech on leadership and government this morning, the secretary responded to questions from the audience. All were from Georgetown students, one of whom asked Panetta if "cyber warfare ... will be a viable and important part of future U.S. defense policy?"

"The developments that have taken place in the cyber arena have been incredible over these last 10 years," the secretary responded, noting that 21st-century technology makes cyber attacks a primary threat to U.S. national security.

"There is no question, in my mind, that part and parcel of any attack on this country in the future, by any enemy, is going to include a cyber element," he said.

The secretary, who is expected to retire this month, has warned of cyber attacks' potential "crippling" effect on government, financial and commercial networks with increasing intensity throughout his nearly two-year tenure since leaving his post as CIA director to head the Defense Department.

When the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 stalled in the Senate in November, the Pentagon released a statement expressing Panetta's disappointment.

In that statement Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said, "The U.S. defense strategy calls for greater investments in cybersecurity measures, and we will continue to explore ways to defend the nation against cyber threats."

New legislation would have enhanced those efforts, Little said, adding, "If the Congress neglects to address this security problem urgently, the consequences could be devastating."

In today's remarks, Panetta again urged Congress to act to enhance the department's cyber capabilities. U.S. defense strategy considers cyber potential in planning "how we will go after an enemy," he told today's audience during the question-and-answer period.

"So, yes, we are living in that world," the secretary said. "I believe that it is very possible the next Pearl Harbor could be a cyber attack ... [that] would have one hell of an impact on the United States of America. That is something we have to worry about and protect against."
Biographies:
Leon E. Panetta

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Hagel Says

01/31/2013 05:55 PM CST                               Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 5:46 AMVietnam Shaped Perspective on War
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2013 - Having seen war "from the bottom," President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next secretary of defense said today, that experience informs him as he looks at policy.

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel spoke about his experiences in Vietnam during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

Hagel and his brother Tom served together in Vietnam in 1968. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, and the young infantryman was wounded twice during his tour. "I saw it from the bottom," he said today. "I saw what happens. I saw the consequences and the suffering and horror of war."

More than 16,000 Americans died in Vietnam in 1968. Hagel said his experiences in Vietnam informed the decisions he made as a senator, and will continue to inform him if he is confirmed to succeed retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta.

Hagel used his stance in regard to the surge in Iraq as an example. As a senator, Hagel opposed the surge. He felt it was a mistake, he told the Senate panel today.

"I did question a surge," he said. "It wasn't an aberration to me, ever. I always ask the question, 'Is this going to be worth the sacrifice?' Because there will be sacrifices."

The United States lost almost 1,200 service members during the surge and thousands of others were wounded, Hagel said. "Was it required? Was it necessary?" he asked. "I'm not sure. I'm not that certain that it was required. Now, it doesn't mean I'm right. It doesn't mean I didn't make wrong votes. But that's what guides me."

Questioning the need for a surge goes back to being an Army sergeant walking point in the Mekong Delta, Hagel said. "I'm not shaped, framed, molded, consumed by that experience," he said. "But it's part of me. ... We're all shaped by those experiences."

Hagel said he hopes his experiences in Vietnam will help him if he assumes the top job at the Pentagon. "I hope if I have the privilege of serving as secretary of defense, it will put someone in charge at the Pentagon ... who understands the realities and consequences of war," he said. "It doesn't mean I'm better. But that's who I am. I don't walk away from that."

The United States is the greatest military power on Earth, Hagel said, and America has been judicious and careful with its power.

"I want to make sure we continue to do that, as you all do," Hagel told the senators.

Good people can have honest differences, he told the committee.

"All I can do is my best based on my own experiences," Hagel said, "and ... reaching out, listening, learning, never knowing enough, understanding that circumstances change."

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