J. Nichols Hoover, at InformationWeek, reports that Michael McConnell, former director of national intelligence, Tuesday told the Senate committee on commerce, transportation, and technology:

"The cyber risk has become so important that, in my view, it rivals nuclear weapons in terms of seriousness."
..."If the nation went to war today in a cyberwar, we would lose," he said. "We're the most vulnerable, we're the most connected, and we have the most to lose."

Former Intelligence Chief: U.S. Would Lose Cyberwar -- Cybersecurity -- InformationWeek

Earlier this month, Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the recent attack on Google was a "wake-up call."

His testimony can be read here.

The intelligence agencies seem keen to scare Congress into fully funding the government cyber security initiatives. And for the Senate to pass a new cybersecurity bill.

Comparing a cyber attack with nuclear weapons, that can wipe out tens of millions of people in a single strike, seems like an extreme comparison. US intelligence agencies see themselves as a first line of defense and would gain from increased spending on cyber security.

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