Senate Stalls Cyber Commander To Probe Digital War

The Cyber Command would oversee military networks and take on a growing national security threat: cyber terrorists. But difficult questions about how and when the U.S. military conducts electronic warfare have stalled the creation of the Cyber Command as senators dig into cyberattack scenarios involving the rules of the digital battlefield.
When hackers a continent away attack a military computer system , using computers belonging to unsuspecting private citizens or businesses as cover, what are the rules when the U.S. fights back?
As U.S. officials struggle to put together plans to defend government networks, they are faced with questions about the rippling effects of retaliation. Taking action against a hacker could affect foreign countries, private citizens or businesses -- ranging from hospitals to power plants -- whose computers might get caught up in the electronic battle.