Cyber gets a $1B boost in 2014 defense budget

By increasing its budget for cyber-warfare, the U.S. military is expanding its offensive cyber capabilities, including the ability to blind an enemy’s radar or shut down its command systems in the event of war, according to USA Today. The cyber-operations budget rose from $3.9 billion to $4.7 billion in the proposed 2014 defense budget that came out last week.

The additional capabilities would be crippling, and would only be used in accordance with the law of armed conflict, USA Today reported. An expansion of these sort of capabilities indicates a recognition by the United States that cyber-warfare will be standard fare in any future conflict, and comes at a time when there have been increased movements in cyberspace by China, Russia and North Korea.