Richard Clarke
Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
AP Photo
October 27, 2009
War From Cyberspace
Op-Ed, National Interest
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The United States thinks that its cyber warriors are the best at offense, with the capability of shutting down enemy air defenses, electric-power grids, rail systems and telephony. Such offensive prowess does nothing to defend our own networks from similar attacks, however, and the current U.S. defense systems protect only parts of the federal government, and not civilian or private-sector infrastructure. No nation is as dependent on cyber systems and networks for the operation of its infrastructure, economy and military as the United States. Yet, few national governments have less control over what goes on in its cyberspace than Washington.
AP Photo
February 16, 2012
"Cyber Attacks Can Spark Real Wars"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The recent hacker exchange should also remind us that just as hacking could escalate to the use of conventional force in the Middle East, the reverse is also true. Bombing Iran, for example, could unleash an Iranian government cyber attack. Israelis say they could handle that, despite the recent evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, much of the critical infrastructure in the U.S. is still not ready for a sophisticated nation-state cyber attack either."
May 9, 2010
"When the Car Bomb Goes Off"
Op-Ed, Washington Post
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Imagine if, after a fatal attack, President Obama responded by proposing greater outreach to Muslim communities domestically and around the world, in an effort to undercut radicalization. That is precisely what we and other nations should be doing, but it would undoubtedly be decried as a weak, starry-eyed reaction by our commander in chief, especially after an attack that revealed deficiencies in our counterterrorism system."
February 7, 2013
"A Global Cyber-crisis in Waiting"
Op-Ed, Washington Post
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Like-minded nations should also agree that governments should not steal data from private corporations and then give that information to competing companies, as the government of China has been doing on a massive scale. The victims of Chinese economic espionage should seek to establish clear guidelines and penalties within the World Trade Organization system or, if China blocks that, victim states should seek to develop countermeasures and sanctions outside of that structure."
AP Photo
April 2, 2012
"How China Steals Our Secrets"
Op-Ed, New York Times
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Under Customs authority, the Department of Homeland Security could inspect what enters and exits the United States in cyberspace. Customs already looks online for child pornography crossing our virtual borders. And under the Intelligence Act, the president could issue a finding that would authorize agencies to scan Internet traffic outside the United States and seize sensitive files stolen from within our borders."
AP Photo
February 16, 2012
"Cyber Attacks Can Spark Real Wars"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The recent hacker exchange should also remind us that just as hacking could escalate to the use of conventional force in the Middle East, the reverse is also true. Bombing Iran, for example, could unleash an Iranian government cyber attack. Israelis say they could handle that, despite the recent evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, much of the critical infrastructure in the U.S. is still not ready for a sophisticated nation-state cyber attack either."
AP Photo
July 31, 2011
"The Coming Cyber Wars"
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The so-called Stuxnet cyber weapon, which attacked and destroyed nuclear centrifuges in Iran, escaped into cyberspace. This sophisticated cyber weapon was then captured by many computer experts around the world and is now freely available for anyone to download. It raises the specter of whether non-state actors will soon be able to engage in cyber war."
AP Photo
June 15, 2011
"China's Cyberassault on America"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In the realm of cyberspace, writes Clark, the administration is ignoring its primary responsibility to protect its own citizens when they are targeted for harm by a foreign government.
AP Photo
April 2, 2012
"How China Steals Our Secrets"
Op-Ed, New York Times
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Under Customs authority, the Department of Homeland Security could inspect what enters and exits the United States in cyberspace. Customs already looks online for child pornography crossing our virtual borders. And under the Intelligence Act, the president could issue a finding that would authorize agencies to scan Internet traffic outside the United States and seize sensitive files stolen from within our borders."
AP Photo
February 16, 2012
"Cyber Attacks Can Spark Real Wars"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The recent hacker exchange should also remind us that just as hacking could escalate to the use of conventional force in the Middle East, the reverse is also true. Bombing Iran, for example, could unleash an Iranian government cyber attack. Israelis say they could handle that, despite the recent evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, much of the critical infrastructure in the U.S. is still not ready for a sophisticated nation-state cyber attack either."
