A report issued last month by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission concluded:   ”China is likely using its maturing computer network exploitation capability to support intelligence collection against the U.S. Government and industry by conducting a long term, sophisticated, computer network exploitation campaign.”  For the last decade, China has been conducting ”hacker attacks” and network intrusions against U.S. Government and private sector computer networks.  In June 2008, Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10th) revealed that computers in his office had been hacked; authorities concluded that the attacks originated in China.  Last May, I argued in The Washington Times that our lack of a declaratory cyber deterrence policy makes us weaker as a nation by enabling our adversaries in cyberspace to operate in what amounts to a consequence-free environment.

Congress should launch a new independent commission to examine the threat posed by offensive cyber capabilities.  But this commission should not be comprised of only career national security professionals.  Rather, it should include innovative thinkers in private industry.  We need creative thinkers to look at this challenge with fresh eyes, unencumbered by Washington’s national security bureaucracy.  Cyberspace remains America’s Achilles’ heel.  Great steps have been taken to enhance our cybersecurity and head off a “Pearl Harbor” in cyberspace but the threat of a catastrophic, disruptive attack remains. 

Candidates for this commission should include an eclectic mix.  Here are a few candidates:

• Steve Jobs, Founder and CEO, Apple Corporation, Inc.
• Sergey Brin, Co-Founder and President, Technology, Google, Inc.
• Mitt Romney, Former CEO, Bain & Company
• Richard Rumelt, Professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management
• Ian Bremmer, President, Eurasia Group

Can you imagine the brainpower these men would bring to bear on this problem?  These commissioners should be assisted by a team of staff assistants with expertise in defense, intelligence, information assurance, and law enforcement.  Each staff assistant should have 15-20 years of experience in their area of expertise.  Each staff assistant should be supported by a cadre of research assistants with 5-10 years of experience in defense, intelligence, information assurance, and law enforcement.

Topics for exploration should include:

• Cyber Deterrence
• Interagency Resourcing for the Acquisition of Materiel Cyber Capabilities
• Human Capitial Elements of Cyber Warfare in the U.S. National Security Community
• Offensive Cyber Capabilities
• Intelligence Collection on Cyber Threats
• Public-Private Sector Coordination
• Cyber Capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army

The cyber challenge requires “outside of the box” thinking.  Each of these prospective commissioners have proven themselves as innovative thinkers, problem solvers, and entrepreneurs.  They are an intellectually diverse group and would examine the cyber challenge with a unique perspective.  Rather than have the same Washington think tanks and the same Washington analysts look at the problem, we should ask these successful businessmen to leverage their experience to tackle a huge national challenge.