NATO chief says enemy might be 'everywhere' in cyberspace

NATO must be ready to address the security threats posed by potential enemies in cyberspace, the secretary general of the western military alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Thursday.

"Several actors on the international scene are quite interested in what is going on in NATO, and they also use cyberspace to achieve their goals," Rasmussen told reporters at a crisis management seminar in Helsinki.

While the territorial defence of its 28 member states and their populations remained NATO's core function, it was not enough to "line up soldiers and tanks and military equipment along the borders," Rasmussen said.

We "really have to address the threat at its roots, and it might be in cyber space," he said, adding that an "enemy might appear everywhere in cyberspace".

NATO is currently updating its Strategic Concept to reflect changes in the emphasis of global security challenges -- including terrorism, energy supplies and climate change -- since the last revision in 1999.

AFP

US faces 'serious' cyberspace threats: advisor

The United States faces "serious and significant" threats within cyberspace, the White House's top counter-terrorism advisor said Sunday, adding it was an issue of national security.

"The threats and the vulnerabilities within the cyber domain are serious and significant," John Brennan told NBC, adding a cybersecurity board had been set up at the White House.

"It's a very complex and complicated challenge, but we are working very closely with the private sector."

Last month a row over Internet freedom erupted between China and the United States as Beijing denied any state involvement in cyberattacks on Internet search engine Google.

President Barack Obama said he was "troubled" by Google's statements it had been attacked by China-based hackers, and demanded official answers.

The US Internet giant has threatened to abandon its Chinese search engine, and perhaps end all operations in the country over the cyberattacks. It has also said it is no longer willing to bow to Chinese government censors.

"We're looking at these issues from the standpoint of espionage, from governments, from different individuals, whether they be hackers or terrorist organizations," Brennan said. afp