Against this backdrop, the rapid proliferation of cyber threats and the apparent adoption by some countries of information warfare as a national strategy is very troubling. Most of the nation's economic infrastructure, including the information grids, is privately owned, and there are legal barriers to determining precisely how vulnerable parts of it may be.

Experiments conducted by the Department of Homeland Security have demonstrated how Internet predators might penetrate utilities and shut them down, but no one really knows the degree to which potential adversaries are already poised to do so. Even when it can be proven that electronic attacks on domestic networks were launched from places like China, there is no sure way of knowing where they actually originated.

The challenge of guarding networks supporting the national economy is exacerbated by the myriad ways in which digital operating systems and applications might be compromised. Malicious software is being generated and disseminated on such a vast scale that even when it is detected, there often is no immediate remedy for the problem.

The Internet is so ubiquitous and anonymous that there is no practical way of suppressing such software without severely impairing the functionality of the whole system, which itself could become a significant burden to the economy. Nonetheless, many experts fear it is just a matter of time before cyber predators do serious damage to the national economy, and some contend that is already happening today.

Finding lasting solutions to the danger posed by cyber threats is an extremely complicated challenge. The threats take many forms, and are constantly evolving. The cyberspace domain in which they unfold is anarchic and anonymous, sprawling across political and geographical boundaries in a manner that defies regulation. Many of the remedies proposed to limit abuses also limit the freedom of users. However, if the federal government cannot find a workable approach to deterring and defeating cyber threats, then the United States may be unable to sustain its military and economic edge in the information age.

Most experts agree that a few basic principles are central to any effective defense. First, users must be aware of the danger and trained to avoid creating vulnerabilities that can be exploited by predators.

Second, access to sensitive networks must be controlled by limiting points of entry, blocking or filtering traffic through those points, and instituting rigorous authentication procedures for legitimate users.

(In Part 6: The problems of preparing properly to defend against cyber attacks)

(Loren B. Thompson is chief executive officer of the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based think tank that supports democracy and the free market.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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