Air Force manual describes shadowy cyberwar world

(Originally published Oct. 25, 2010)

By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press

DENVER -- A new Air Force manual for cyberwarfare describes a shadowy, fast-changing world where anonymous enemies can carry out devastating attacks in seconds and where conventional ideas about time and space don't apply.

Much of the 62-page manual is a dry compendium of definitions, acronyms and explanations of who reports to whom. But it occasionally veers into scenarios that sound more like computer games than flesh-and-blood warfare.

It dwells mostly on protecting U.S. military computer networks and makes little mention of attacking others. That could signal the Pentagon wants to keep its offensive plans secret, or that its chief goal is fending off cyberattacks to keep its networks up and running, analysts said.

More at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101025/ap_on_re_us/us_cyberwarfare_manual

Napolitano: Military to aid civilian cybersecurity

(Originally published Oct. 28, 2010)

By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Defense Department's supersecret National Security Agency can be used "appropriately" on civilian cybersecurity matters, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday.

Napolitano said an agreement between the military and Homeland Security, announced this month, takes privacy and civil liberties into account.

"We're not going to have two NSAs, we're going to have one NSA that can appropriately be used for defense purposes but also appropriately used for civilian purposes," Napolitano told the National Symposium on Homeland Security and Defense.

More at http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9J4UO7O0.htm

Air Force Academy relents, releases cadet survey

(Originally published Oct. 29, 2010)

By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy reversed course on Friday and released the results of a survey that showed mixed results on the school's efforts to improve religious and racial tolerance and limit sexual harassment.

The survey, conducted in December and January, showed improvements in making minority groups feel more accepted and in reducing the number who say they feel pressured by others to participate in religious activities.

But it found that many cadets believe that some religious and racial minorities face discrimintation and harassment, and an increasing percentage of the faculty and staff believe that sexual harassment occurs at the school.

More at http://www.salon.com/wires/allwires/2010/10/29/D9J5J8E03_us_academy_cadet_survey/index.html