[ISN] Kellogg describes cyber battlefield

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Thu Mar 06 2003 - 03:07:57 PST

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    Forwarded from: William Knowles <wkat_private>
    
    http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/0303/web-kellogg-03-05-03.asp
    
    By Dan Caterinicchia 
    March 5, 2003
    
    The war on terrorism is being fought not only in places such as
    Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also on a cyber battlefield where
    terrorists are using information technology to their advantage.
    
    However, the Defense Department is also using IT and is attempting to
    "connect the dots" before the next attack is carried out, according to
    one member of the Joint Staff.
    
    Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Kellogg Jr., director of command, control,
    communications and computers for the Joint Staff, said the cryptology
    being used by terrorists to protect their data and communications is
    as good, if not better, than DOD's solutions.
    
    He added that terrorists also have the capability to use steganography
    to pass instructions and other information. Steganography involves
    hiding a message or image within another image, a sound file (or
    musical composition) or some other unlikely document location.
    
    "They are hiding stuff in pictures and embedding them in places we
    can't get to...like porn sites," Kellogg said during a March 5 panel
    at the Homeland and Global Security Summit in Washington, D.C.
    
    DOD also is leveraging IT to "connect the dots" to ensure that there
    is never a repeat of the type of terrorist attacks that occurred Sept.  
    11, 2001, he said. "The best counter in asymmetric war is information
    and how you use it."
    
    Asymmetric warfare is any means by which a generally inferior force
    can gain advantage over mightier opponents. On the asymmetric
    battlefield, Kellogg said, "The primary [thing terrorists] are using
    to their advantage is information technology."
    
    In an interview with FCW, Kellogg made clear that no DOD personnel are
    accessing porn sites looking for hidden terrorist messages. But he
    added that other government agencies and organizations are able to do
    it and that DOD would use and act on any "legally vetted information"  
    that is uncovered.
    
    Kellogg also said that last week's capture of al Qaeda operations
    chief Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was significant not only because he is in
    custody and can be interrogated, but also because "they got his
    computers," and even deleted files may hold valuable information for
    DOD and intelligence agencies.
    
    Northern Command (Northcom), which is responsible for ensuring
    homeland defense capabilities and supporting civilian authorities when
    directed by the president or secretary of Defense, doesn't yet have
    the integrated battle command capabilities of its fellow worldwide DOD
    combatant commands, but IT solutions are starting to make it happen,
    Kellogg said.
    
    He added that Northcom must share information with all of the military
    services and DOD agencies as well as federal agencies and state and
    local law enforcement and first responders, which makes the task even
    harder.
    
    Northcom will have about 600 people at its headquarters at Peterson
    Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo., when it achieves full
    operational capability Oct. 1, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Lloyd Dodd,
    the command's chief surgeon. He added that as of last week, the
    headquarters staff included 258 people.
    
    
     
    *==============================================================*
    "Communications without intelligence is noise;  Intelligence
    without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
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