On July 20, 2011, according to the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Defense Department has failed to deliver to Congress a report on cyber warfare policies which may clarify the legal authorities and rules of engagement to be used in the event of a cyber attack.
Senators Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, and John McCain, an Arizona Republican, in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wrote as follows:
“The continued failure to address and define the policies and legal authorities necessary for the Pentagon to operate in the cyberspace domain remains a significant gap in our national security that must be addressed.”