The Next War: Attacks on U.S. Digital Infrastructure?

Chinese hackers recently sought to target the mobile phones of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and intercepted data meant for our law enforcement agencies. (Image source: iStock)

It's an old saying repeated by military strategists who consistently warn, "Don't prepare to fight the last war..."

Their inference is that, while there are lessons to be learned from studying the last conflict, the next one may well be profoundly different than what you previously endured, catching a nation totally unprepared.

For America, the "next one" may already be upon us. It is not the scenario we anticipated, namely enemy aircraft coming over the pole to attack with nuclear weapons, or a catastrophic exchange of ICBMs. Even the lessons gained from the current Russian war on Ukraine may not be fully applicable to America's defense of the homeland.

Consider the current assault as revealed in media reports. Chinese hackers sought to target the mobile phones of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and intercepted data meant for our law enforcement agencies.

A sworn enemy, Iran, is also looking to wage their war against "The Great Satan" by seeking to hit our nation's most vulnerable targets: our digital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, today's Pentagon is wrestling with multibillion dollar projects that are not going well. The Army has been stymied in developing a new attack helicopter, at a cost to the taxpayer that is staggering.

The Air Force is still profoundly unhappy with its next generation tanker aircraft built by Boeing, and rightfully so.

The Navy lost an aircraft carrier to an accidental fire.

Based on these multibillion-dollar woes, the idea that the incoming Trump administration intends to shake up the Pentagon should not only come as no surprise but should be lauded and welcomed by Americans who want a strong, credible and effective defense. However, whoever sits in the corner office of the Pentagon needs to embrace the clear and urgent warning that we not only can't fight the last war, but our enemies are already engaged in the next one, intent on defeating America where we live: online.

Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.