Technology & Innovation

Petraeus investigation ensnares Allen, SACEUR nomination put on hold

By Phil Stewart, Reuters

From Phil Stewart, Reuters:  The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, is under investigation for alleged inappropriate communication with a woman at the center of the scandal involving former CIA Director David Petraeus, a senior U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.

Cyber chief issues call for action; Alexander outlines who does what

By Henry Kenyon and Wyatt Kash, AOL Defense

From Henry Kenyon and Wyatt Kash, AOL Defense:  The nation’s top military cyber commander offered his version of how government and military agencies are likely to work together when America suffers cyber attacks, and warned that industry needs to take a greater role.

General Alexander: ‘The DoD network is not defensible, per se’

By Henry Kenyon and Wyatt Kash, AOL Defense

From Henry Kenyon and Wyatt Kash, AOL Defense:  [Chief of Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency Gen. Keith] Alexander noted the difficulties the Defense Department has in protecting its own networks.

When is a cyberattack an act of war?

By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post

From Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post:  On the night of Oct. 11, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stood inside the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, housed in a former aircraft carrier moored at a New York City pier, and let an audience of business executives in on one of the most important conversations inside the U.S. […]

Georgian cyber counterattack exposes Russian hacker seeking NATO document

By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

From Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service:  In an unprecedented move, the country of Georgia — irritated by persistent cyber-spying attacks — has published two photos of a Russia-based hacker

Panetta: US ‘certainly had forces in place’ that could have reached Americans under attack in Benghazi

By Leon Panetta, Department of Defense

From Leon Panetta, Department of Defense:  Excerpt from a Pentagon press conference by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey.

Inside one of U.S. Cyber Command’s offensive units

By John Reed, Killer Apps

From John Reed, Killer Apps:  Ever wonder how long it takes to get one of the U.S. Army’s best cyber operators trained and ready to conduct high-end offensive operations? About five years, according to the Army’s top intelligence official.

Boeing conducts first flight test of cyber missile

By Boeing

What the US Risks by Relying on Drones

By Kurt Volker

 As documented in the recent Post series “The Permanent War,” the United States increasingly relies on drone strikes as a principal and permanent component in fighting global terrorism. This is effective at killing terrorist leadership and is relatively painless politically at home, as it does not require massive military engagements or put U.S. soldiers or […]