Persistent threats challenge US military cyber ops

The United States is becoming more experienced at handling cyber operations and employing the skill set for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, reports Aviation Week.

And the aptitude comes none too soon, as the nation is encountering a rise in Advanced Persistent Threats, and also cyber espionage and cyberattacks, and could be looking at an all-out cyber war in its future.

Incoming U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, at his confirmation hearing, said there is a “strong likelihood that the next Pearl Harbor [could be] a cyberattack that cripples” U.S. infrastructure, security, and financial and government systems, the article states.