US and Russia Disagree On Armed E-Forces

In an ongoing effort to protect computer systems and the Internet, heads of state don’t always agree on the best counter measures. An article on the New York Times website says the United States and Russia have different ideas on how to counter the threat of cyber-attacks.

The article is part of a series that examines the growing use of computer power as a weapon. Reporters John Markoff and Andrew E. Kramer say both Russia and the States agree that cyberspace is an emerging battleground. How to combat would-be attackers, however, is a matter President Obama is expected to address during his visit to Russia this week.

“Russia favors an international treaty along the lines of those negotiated for chemical weapons and has pushed for that approach at a series of meetings this year and in public statements by a high-ranking official,” write Markoff and Kramer. Russia, they say, fears the absence of such a treaty would permit a kind of cyber-arms race.

“The United States argues that a treaty is unnecessary,” they write. “It instead advocates improved cooperation among international law enforcement groups. If these groups cooperate to make cyberspace more secure against criminal intrusions, their work will also make cyberspace more secure against military campaigns, American officials say.”

To read the full article, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/world/28cyber.html?_r=1&ref=global-home