Plan X - the secret U.S. program

Plan X - the secret U.S. program to dominate the cyber battlespace

Agency Defense Advanced Technologies DARPA announced the launch of the program, code-named «Plan X». The purpose of this program - to provide "dominance in theater in cyberwar". In order to collect prospective developers in September, held a special event entitled «Proposers' Day Workshop».


The official program of events for the "Plan X" DARPA representatives describe the general features of the system that they want to achieve. It is assumed that it will provide a single view of the U.S. cyber military of cyberspace, in fact, a global intelligence network, which penetrates to all networks in the world. It is assumed that this system will analyze various performance networks, including delay and bandwidth. According to these characteristics, future analytical solutions have to give realistic estimates of the relative vulnerability of any potential targets for attack.

Proposal for applicants to participate in the "Plan X" also suggests that preliminary studies on systems that can automatically develop plans of operations in cyberspace. The documentation for the DARPA contest representatives indicate that the system must to some extent replicate the autopilot in modern airplanes. Although DARPA document specifically provides that the Plan X is not intended to create a new cyber-weapon virus like Stuxnet, but recently the same agency just called for the development of the United States' ability to conduct combat operations in cyberspace. It is assumed that preliminary talks on the "Day of applicants' end by the beginning of October of this year, however, we already know that the results are closed to the public and press.

It is noteworthy that Russia and other countries have spoken in favor of a total ban on cyber weapons as a tool that can be used at the state level. All the more sad that the emergence of viruses such as Stuxnet and his followers being connected globally with U.S. authorities brought cyber weapons to a legitimate level, so that any other state now feels free to apply the same impact on the electronic systems of the United States. This can lead to serious shocks not only for the U.S. but for the entire world. It is interesting that before the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration was considering impact on the electronic components of the financial system of Iraq, but later abandoned the plan because of the exorbitant "collateral damage". The systems, which will be created under the program «Plan X», just to protect the U.S. against such attacks, plus provide steps in the opposite direction - in the form of attacks on hostile states.

Based on site Wired and The Verge.