Pentagon spends $100 million on cyber attacks - Security- msnbc.com

WASHINGTON - Whether from bored teenagers, sophisticated nation-states or petty criminals, the Pentagon says it's under assault from computer hackers.

Military leaders says Pentagon's spent more than $100 million in the last six months responding to and repairing damage from cyber attacks and other computer network problems.

Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton heads the U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for protecting and monitoring the military's information grid. He says the motivations for the attacks include everything from vandalism to espionage. But whatever the source, Chilton says the attacks represent Strategic Command's "big challenge."

The Pentagon won't say how much of the $100 million cost was due to outside attacks, as opposed to viruses and other problems triggered accidentally by Defense Department employees.

Army Brig. Gen. Jon Davis says the government needs to invest more money in its computer capabilities, rather than pouring millions into "fixing things after the fact."