As succeeding presidential administrations and leaders in the Pentagon devote increasing resources to defending U.S. computer networks and planning for potential cyber warfare, some observers are questioning whether the cyber threat has been overstated.
While risks do exist, they say, most of them don't truly rise to the level of war. And framing the debate in war terms could provide justification for the U.S. intelligence community to assert greater authority over what people can do on the Internet, they argue.
But those who warn of the country's cyber vulnerabilities argue that criminals, hackers and other nations pose a great threat to disrupt and destroy the data networks the U.S. relies on so heavily — and strong defenses are essential.
Four experts recently gathered to explore both sides of the issue in an Oxford-style debate on the motion "The Cyber War Threat Has Been Grossly Exaggerated" before an audience at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The debate was the first in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series to be held outside New York City.
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