Cyber vulnerabilities may block potential war efforts

WASHINGTON - Never mind the troops and weapons.

A former top U.S. cyber cop says America's computer networks are so vulnerable to attack that leaders should think twice before going to war with other nations.

The shocking claim is being made by Richard Clarke, a top adviser to three presidents on cyber issues.

He joined a number of U.S. military and civilian experts in offering a bleak outlook of the nation's computer security issues.

Clarke says bottom line is that the country simply can't protect its critical networks.

And he says if he were advising the president, he'd warn against attacking other countries because so many of them -- like China, North Korea, Iran and Russia -- could retaliate by launching devastating cyberattacks that could destroy power grids, banking networks or transportation systems.

 
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)