Appropriate US Response

Finally, the spectrum of cyber conflict as depicted in figure 5 speaks to the type of appropriate response from the US government in case of a cyber attack. In most cases, the appropriate response will be prosecution of the perpetrator either within the United States or by extradition to the US or through appropriate courts in other countries. However, there will be times that the identity of the perpetrator reveals intent by a foreign government to do harm to US national security interests. It may then be appropriate for the US government to apply diplomatic or economic pressure towards the offending country or in certain circumstances retaliate in kind with a cyber attack or through military strikes.

The spectrum of cyber conflict as depicted above attempts to bridge the gap between computer attacks perpetrated with criminal intent and attacks with national security intentions. Both types of attacks are on the same spectrum of conflict and often are difficult to distinguish. Because of this continuum of conflict from crime to warfare, the US and its Department of Defense must be prepared to work within the full constraints of US law and still be able to respond and retaliate against would-be attackers. Without this capability, we will not be able to prevent and deter future attack.