U.S. - Australia announce cyber defense treaty

From Homeland Security Newswire

Published 19 September 2011

Last week, the United States and Australia announced a mutual defense treaty that declared a cyberattack on one would result in retaliation by both nations; this new agreement appears to be the first instance of a mutual defense treaty in the cyber realm outside of NATO

Last week, the United States and Australia announced a mutual defense treaty that declared a cyberattack on one would result in retaliation by both nations.

The latest announcement comes as an addition to the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security treaty (ANZUS), which commits the three nations to support one another if one is attacked. The treaty, signed sixty years ago, now includes cyber attacks as well as physical attacks. Beginning in 1985, New Zealand has not been an active partner of ANZUS.

This new agreement appears to be the first instance of a mutual defense treaty in the cyber realm outside of NATO.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said the treaty highlights how the United States perceives cyber threats.

“I think it’s in large measure a recognition of what I’ve been saying time and time again, which is that cyber is the battlefield of the future,” Panetta said...

Much more here. And then, in a related column:

Cyber attacks on U.S. are becoming more lethal

Published 19 September 2011

The head of the U.S. Cyber Command said that cyber attacks on the United States are escalating from large-scale theft and disruption of computer operations to more lethal attacks that destroy systems and physical equipment

The head of the U.S. Cyber Command said that cyber attacks on the United States are escalating from large-scale theft and disruption of computer operations to more lethal attacks that destroy systems and physical equipment.

The Washington Times quotes General Keith Alexander to say: “That’s our concern about what’s coming in cyberspace — a destructive element.” Alexander, who is also the director of the National Security Agency (NSA), said that future computer-based combat is likely to involve cyber strikes that cause widespread power outages and even physical destruction of machinery....

Much more in a very interesting article here.

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