Pentagon to Bolster Networks and Cyberattack Capabilities with ‘Plan X’

Nextgov: In the past, the U.S. Defense Department has focused on defensive cyberwarfare capabilities, but new documents show that the agency may be taking baby steps towards offensive capabilities. Contract documents reveal that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is engaged in a program called “Plan X.” According to a special notice, “The objective of the Plan X program is to create revolutionary technologies for understanding, planning, and managing cyberwarfare in real-time, large-scale, and dynamic network environments.” The Plan does not call for “cyberweapon generation” but does include capabilities for “weapon deployment.”

DARPA asked for $208 million for its cyberwarfare activities in 2012, an increase from $120 million in 2011.