Month: December 2021

A new Pentagon strategy to combat cyberwarfare

NEW YORK — The Defense Department plans to launch a new military strategy that will focus on cyberattacks against the United States, the Pentagon said Friday.

The announcement came just days after President Donald Trump threatened to unleash cyberattacks on the United Kingdom, which is a major US ally, if the U.S. does not meet its cyber defense commitments.

“We have the capability to respond in a cyber way, to counter cyber attacks and to deter cyber attacks,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said during a Pentagon briefing on cyber security.

But the Pentagon did not elaborate on how it plans to use those capabilities.

Mattis said the goal is to be “as prepared as possible” for future cyberattacks.

He added that the Pentagon is working on a “virtual threat model” that will give the military a better idea of the threat it faces in cyberspace.

Trump and other US officials have been urging the Pentagon to increase its use of cyberweapons.

Defense Secretary Jim Dept.

Mattis, left, and Defense Secretary Michael Horowitz, center, during a briefing at the Pentagon on cybersecurity.