Russia, China can critically harm US infrastructure

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

Russia and China have cyber warfare capabilities to inflict critical harm to the infrastructure of the U.S., America’s top cyber security officer told a congressional panel Tuesday.

“Cyber is one area we have to acknowledge that we have peer competitors who have every bit as much capacity and capability as we do,” said Adm. Michael Rogers, who added that a lack of deterrence against malicious cyber behavior has emboldened adversaries “to exploit or coerce the United States through cyberspace.

U.S. Cyber Command has 27 teams that are operational in service, according to Rogers while 68 others that have reached “initial operating capability”.

The U.S. plans to establish up to 133 teams to address the cybersecurity needs by Sept. 30, 2018, he added.

“We need to think beyond just networks into our individual combat weapons,” he said. “We need to continue to generate the complete spectrum of capabilities to provide options for our policymakers as well as our operational commanders.”

Rogers recommends that the government and private sector work together to overcome the shortfall in cybersecurity.