Incident Response, TDR

NSA chief confirms physical retaliation could be warranted in cyber attack response

The chief of U.S. Cyber Command discussed using force beyond the virtual world to deter cyber attacks during a forum at George Washington University on Monday.

Navy Adm. and head of the National Security Agency (NSA) Michael Rogers elaborated on the U.S. government's economic sanctions against North Korea following the Sony cyber attack, saying that it was essential to prove that cyber criminals, including governments, will be reprimanded for their actions, according to Defense News.

“Because an opponent comes at us in the cyber domain doesn't mean we have to respond in the cyber domain,” Rogers said. “We think it's important that potential adversaries out there know that this is part of our strategy. The whole goal is you do not want to engage in escalatory behavior.”

Rogers also said that conventional military weapons could be considered in response to cyber attacks.

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