Panel: U.S. lacks legal framework to fight in cyberspace

The United States is hamstrung in defending itself in cyberspace by a lack of policies and legal framework for waging war in the new military domain, a panel of government and private-sector experts said.

The national and international laws of armed conflict that govern conventional warfare don't adequately address issues raised about fighting a war online with digital weapons against enemies who cannot be identified, panelists said. Offensive action by the military will require policy decisions and legal authorities that have not yet been made, said Herb Lin, chief scientist on the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies' National Research Council. Although defensive activities are well established, "the offensive side of it is not very much talked about," Lin said.