Intelligence Expert Presents 'Perpetual War'

The chapter's January guest speaker was Peter C. Oleson, Association of Former Intelligence Officers, board of directors and academic exchange. The topic was "Perpetual War." Oleson pointed out that the country faces a constant and escalating threat of cyber conflict. He said the most significant difference between interstate conflict today and during the Cold War is the cyber dimension. Cyber is nonkinetic, and both the Russians and Chinese have recognized its power and advantages. A weaker power can use it against a more powerful one thanks to the nature of the Internet, the major enabler of cyber operations. Cyber attacks are uncertain: "Their origin and sponsorship can be disguised" at least for a period of time, he said. Cyber attacks are psychological. They affect people's perceptions and attitudes. WIRED magazine predicts distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which are easy to conduct and will paralyze portions of the Internet. Cyber war has become acceptable because one can get away with it at next to no cost, Oleson said. There are both offensive and defensive measures the country should take, "and a lot of these affect the communications and electronics industry." During the luncheon, the chapter also recognized Chief Master Sgt. Don W. Gurganus, USAF, as AFCEAN of the month; Petty Officer 1st Class Ermine Bulls, USN, as Young AFCEAN of the month; Col. Reynold Hioki, USAF (Ret.), as senior government leader of the month; and Zion Basque, Kamehameha High School, as student of the month.