Is Cyberthreat the Next Pearl Harbor?

Abstract

Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta states in his Secretary of Defense confirmation testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that, “The next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples America’s electrical grid and its security and financial systems.” Cyberattacks have become a daily threat to businesses, consumers, and all nation states resulting in the profound loss of economic assets and intellectual property. Cyberattack represents a real threat to geopolitical stability and world peace. This article depicts a fictional scenario of what a cyberattack on a massive scale might look like. First, a possible scenario of such a cyberattack is presented. Second, for historical perspective, the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor is discussed. Third, is a review of contemporary and credible warnings. Fourth, is a discussion about the privacy versus national security debate, and geopolitical developments that determine the stage upon which the cyber drama may be played-out. Fifth, the question of what is to be done is addressed. Next, the 1946 Congressional Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack’s recommended principles (designed to prevent the repetition of such a future attack) is reviewed with our contemporary environment in mind and in search of lessons to be learned. Thoughtful people everywhere will do well to remember that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”