U.S. Cyber Command wants to “operate freely” to protect and defend computer resources

On Thursday, General Keith Alexander who heads the U.S. Cyber Command spoke out for the first time since the agency was activated in late May.  He warned that the U.S. Defense Department has to have the ability to “operate freely and defend its resources in cyberspace.” He said that right now, unauthorized users probe Defense Department systems about 250,000 an hour – more than 6 million times a day.

Congress is already weighing this issue – Sen. Lieberman this week introduced a bill that would give the Dept. of Homeland Security the authority to make sure “critical infrastructure” doesn’t get cut in the event of a cyber attack.