The biggest deterrence to computer network invasion—pinpointing the origin of a cyberattack or other foul play—may be waiting in the wings. A technology of interest—a forensic tool dubbed "cyberexhaust"—is described as the digital equivalent of a trail of bread crumbs through the forest. "Now we know that everything [in the cybersphere] leaves a trail," says Air Force Maj. Gen. David Senty, chief of staff for U.S. Cyber Command. "So 10 years from now, [by backtracking] digital exhaust, it may be possible to apply attribution to penetrations or intrusions of networks [and] theft of intellectual property."
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