3 ms·

I am sure that spending multiples of $100M on cyber offense is providing ample justification to state-sponsored adversaries of all kinds to stage attacks of the

I am sure that spending multiples of $100M on cyber offense is providing ample justification to state-sponsored adversaries of all kinds to stage attacks of their own. Especially combined with Snowden-type revelations which makes the US look like an evil monopoly conspiring to aggressively exploit its dominance to eliminate all competition.

mc32 5y ago
State actors who do this aren’t looking for justification. They just do it because they can. Same with independent (non-state) actors. It’s not like they were being goody two shoes and suddenly with the Snowden revelations they turned.
- bawolff 5y ago
  ??? State actors have objectives. Even if that objective is just to test their capabilities. It seems rediculous to suggest state actors are just doing it for the lulz.
- tigerBL00D 5y ago
  Let me put it this way. You're not likely to cut your R&D budget when your competition is increasing it.
  - adventured 5y ago
    The one thing you can be certain about is that the US is absolutely not cutting its cyber offensive spending or reducing its offensive capabilities. That's all increasing, by a lot. Under no scenario will cuts to offensive capabilities happen, it doesn't matter which party or person is in the White House. Real US cyber offensive spending is buried inside of the three letter agencies and buried in classified spending segments within the budget (the $50b to $100b black budget), not out in the open in the supposedly transparent defense budget. It's very silly anybody would believe the US would cut its spending on cyber offense, while it's deep into a never-to-end cyber conflict with Russia and China; a conflict which none of the parties are much attempting to keep hidden at this point.
    - op03 5y ago
      What are examples of cyber offense launched by the US? I haven't even heard about this before.
      - smabie 5y ago
        That's kind of the point?
        mc32 5y ago
        Hmmm. The Russians and Chinese don't go advertising their cyberwarfare exploits, but we know of them because targets will be vocal. Our targets would be vocal too. So, I don't think we're doing as much as the other guys in terms of causing random havoc. We generally do "surgical" tits for their tats, as far as I understand. You don't hear Sinopec going off-line or GazProm.
        nitrogen 5y ago
        You don't hear Sinopec going off-line or GazProm. All my searches are only turning up the most recent news about the most recent pipeline hack, but I seem to recall reading that the US hacked/sabotaged an eastern European oil or gas pipeline decades ago.
      - scottlamb 5y ago
        Stuxnet
      - uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 5y ago
        Arab spring

mc32 5y ago

State actors who do this aren’t looking for justification. They just do it because they can. Same with independent (non-state) actors. It’s not like they were being goody two shoes and suddenly with the Snowden revelations they turned.

bawolff 5y ago
??? State actors have objectives. Even if that objective is just to test their capabilities. It seems rediculous to suggest state actors are just doing it for the lulz.
tigerBL00D 5y ago
Let me put it this way. You're not likely to cut your R&D budget when your competition is increasing it.
- adventured 5y ago
  The one thing you can be certain about is that the US is absolutely not cutting its cyber offensive spending or reducing its offensive capabilities. That's all increasing, by a lot. Under no scenario will cuts to offensive capabilities happen, it doesn't matter which party or person is in the White House. Real US cyber offensive spending is buried inside of the three letter agencies and buried in classified spending segments within the budget (the $50b to $100b black budget), not out in the open in the supposedly transparent defense budget. It's very silly anybody would believe the US would cut its spending on cyber offense, while it's deep into a never-to-end cyber conflict with Russia and China; a conflict which none of the parties are much attempting to keep hidden at this point.
  - op03 5y ago
    What are examples of cyber offense launched by the US? I haven't even heard about this before.
    - smabie 5y ago
      That's kind of the point?
      - mc32 5y ago
        Hmmm. The Russians and Chinese don't go advertising their cyberwarfare exploits, but we know of them because targets will be vocal. Our targets would be vocal too. So, I don't think we're doing as much as the other guys in terms of causing random havoc. We generally do "surgical" tits for their tats, as far as I understand. You don't hear Sinopec going off-line or GazProm.
        nitrogen 5y ago
        You don't hear Sinopec going off-line or GazProm. All my searches are only turning up the most recent news about the most recent pipeline hack, but I seem to recall reading that the US hacked/sabotaged an eastern European oil or gas pipeline decades ago.
    - scottlamb 5y ago
      Stuxnet
    - uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 5y ago
      Arab spring