The U.S. sees countless attacks on its public and private networks every year, many of them attributed to China and Russia. So far there's not much of a cohesive plan for reacting to these attacks, at least outside of internal Pentagon operations, but there needs to be, according to Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

"We must address cyber threats under the umbrella of national security. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, we have been looking intensely at cybersecurity threats from a national security perspective," Rounds said Nov. 18 at CyberCon 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. "Congress has not yet determined what constitutes an act of war in the cyber domain. It needs to do so before an attack occurs, to enable the Defense Department to respond in real time since cyberattacks happen literally in milliseconds."

Rounds said that not only does U.S. cybersecurity doctrine need to be made clear, so does the potential retaliation enemies may face for engaging in cyberattacks against U.S. interests.

"In the middle of the Cold War we survived because of the threat of mutually assured destruction, which meant whatever you did to us, we were going to do to you. What is the cost to bad guys on the outside who are screwing around with our stuff?" Rounds said. "What is the threat if they're not successful; what is the threat if they get caught? There has to be a penalty to pay, because if not they'll just try again. You see, the rewards they reap if they're successful can be significant. But what makes them think twice?"

It's a hotly debated subject throughout Washington and the many agencies involved in cybersecurity. On Capitol Hill, Rounds said the need for decisive action only continues to mount.

"As our enemies' tactics grow more sophisticated, we must be even more diligent in our defense," he said. "We should be prepared to discuss [retaliatory measures] openly and be clear, just as in the case when we had with the opportunity of mutually assured destruction. We should in a position where we will be able to say, if you screw with us, there will be a penalty which will be paid."

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