The Air Force needs to teach airmen about the service’s cyber history just like they are inculcated with the service’s airpower history, stressed Jason Healey, cyber strategist with the Atlantic Council. Defense Department doctrine identified the key aspects of cyber defense more than 40 years ago, but little progress has been made on strategy because too few learn the lessons of the past, asserted Healey Thursday at AFA’s CyberFutures Conference outside of Washington, D.C. “The Air Force really needs to start pushing cyber-mindedness. In 2005, [it] added cyber to the mission,” but the Air Force has been conducting network defense and counterespionage for more than 20 years, he pointed out. “Learn that history. Learn the old lessons, get the old operators from the old units,” said Healey. “There’s been no oral history. . . . We do that with all the other venues; it’s time to do it here,” he added.
Earlier this week, the People’s Republic of China confirmed it is halting its nuclear arms control talks with the U.S., in retaliation for the U.S. continuing to sell arms to Taiwan. The move reinforces a “pattern of behavior” from Beijing, experts say.