The Department of Defense is also building its own secure 4G wireless network

Jun 28, 2013 08:10 GMT  ·  By

The cyber threat landscape is constantly changing, and the US Army is well aware of it. In fact, according to the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, rules of engagement are being updated for the first time in 7 years.

“The President signed a directive that codifies how each part of the government will respond to a serious cyber attack. Under this directive, the Department of Defense has developed emergency procedures to guide our response to imminent, significant cyber threats,” Dempsey said in a speech at the Brookings Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

“We are updating our rules of engagement—the first update for cyber in seven years—and improving command and control for cyber forces.”

Dempsey highlights the fact that their immediate priority is keeping the .mil domain secure. However, in the event of a domestic cyber crisis, they’re ready to help the FBI and the DDHS in protecting .gov and .com domains.

The general agrees with other officials who are concerned about devastating cyber attacks against critical infrastructure.

In response to the threat, several steps are being taken, Dempsey notes.

“Over the next four years 4,000 cyber operators will join the ranks. We are also investing $23 billion dollars in cybersecurity. We are doing all of this not to address run of the mill cyber intrusions, but to stop attacks of significant consequence – those that threaten life, limb, and the country’s core economic functioning,” he said.

Dempsey has also revealed that the Department of Defense is building its own secure 4G wireless network, designed to be used for special iPads, iPhones, and Android devices. The secure network is expected to go online by mid-2014.

Referring to these special mobile devices, the general said, “I have a secure mobile phone with me here today. This phone would make both Batman and James Bond jealous.”