14 DAY TRIAL // “I think there has to be a greater sense of urgency with regards to the cyber potential, not only now but in the future,” US Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told Congress.
As many of our readers may know, this is not the first time when an official warns lawmakers on the threats posed by cyberattacks, but the fact that the Defense Secretary came forward with such a statement shows that the United States is really concerned.
“I'm very concerned at the potential in cyber to be able to cripple our power grid, to be able to cripple our government systems, to be able to cripple our financial systems. It would virtually paralyze this country. And as far as I'm concerned, that represents the potential for another Pearl Harbor … using cyber,” he added.
While he is confident that the Department of Defense is capable of protecting the state’s computer systems, he is more worried about the security of non-government infrastructures.