NSA chief: Cyber offense will follow global norms

The head of the National Security Agency (NSA) said that any offensive cyber actions by the United States will follow international norms for warfare.

Adm. Michael Rogers, who leads the U.S. Cyber Command, has faced repeated questions from lawmakers about how his team is coping with the rising threat from hackers.

{mosads}At one point, recently, Rogers indicated that he could not undertake further offensive action without a go-ahead from the White House.

In a recent interview with Defense One, Rogers gave more evidence that the Obama administration sees its actions online as the basis for further international norms in cyberspace.

“Remember, anything we do in the cyber arena … must follow the law of conflict,” Rogers told the publication at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space conference outside of Washington, D.C.

“Our response must be proportional, must be in line with the broader set of norms that we’ve created over time. I don’t expect cyber to be any different.”

Rogers has appeared sympathetic when discussing the need for further cyber offense with lawmakers.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, he argued that efforts to deter hackers are not working and that defensive measures will prove “incredibly resource intensive.”

We need to “think about how can we increase our capacity on the defensive side to get to that point of deterrence,” Rogers said.

At the same time, Rogers has suggested that the progress toward decisions will be slow.

“I’m sure there were huge reactions to the development of mass firepower in the 1800s as a new kind of warfighting implement,” he told Defense One.

“Like those other effects, I think, over time, we’ll have a broad discussion in terms of our sense of awareness, both in terms of capabilities as well as limitations.”