The Defense Department is finalizing rules aimed to give military commanders protocol for determining how to respond to cyber attacks against the U.S., USA Today reports.Citing military officials and cyber analysts, Jim Michael writes the rules will also cover conventional combat and let commanders take some actions without having to clear it with the White House.
These rules would come as NATO is also figuring out how to apply international law to the cyber domain, according to Michael.
NATO recently said that a state can retaliate proportionally against a country that launches a cyber attack against it, but said it is difficult to locate the origin of an attack, according to the report.
Another issue the Pentagon faces is theft of corporate trade secrets as China has been accused of stealing secrets to help its own economy, Michael writes.
