Next week, representatives from dozens of countries will meet in Washington to discuss nuclear security. Clearly, proliferation of nuclear weapons to include theft and acquisition by terrorists or unfriendly regimes raise nightmarish scenarios.

Fortunately, only two nuclear weapons have ever been used in anger. While the consequences of a nuclear detonation could be catastrophic, the safeguards, the dangerous nature of uranium and plutonium and the engineering complexity of fielding a usable weapon and delivery system as opposed to a demonstration device are great constraints on making these nightmares real. And we have had 65 years to wrestle with these nuclear issues.

Cyberspace, on the other hand, could prove to be far more complex and difficult. "Cyber" is broadly defined to include the ether, computers, Internet and all forms of related electronic transmissions. Unlike nuclear theory, cyber is still in its infancy regarding how it can or will be regulated, used, overseen and policed. Additionally, since cyber has the potential to be as disruptive as nuclear weapons without the physical destruction -- imagine if financial networks or power grids were taken down through cyberattacks -- safeguards to ensure legitimate use are critical.

In a sense, cyber is, as former Carter and Clinton administration senior defense official Frank Kramer points out, at a conceptual stage roughly equivalent to nuclear weapons in 1946. To some then, nuclear weapons were merely larger variants of conventional explosives. To others, and the advent of thermonuclear weapons in 1952 made this prospect real, the atom bomb could destroy society as we knew it. Hence control and deterrence of a cataclysmic nuclear war were crucial to the survival and security of many states.

But it took time to understand the implications and consequences of the nuclear era including peaceful uses for medicine, research and generation of electricity. Similarly, nuclear deterrence theory and associated arms control and arms limitations arrangements didn't arrive as instantaneously as Athena springing from the brow of Zeus. Cyber could follow this model.

To U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander, unsurprisingly the world of cyber is akin to the maritime domain. For millennia, mariners have been sailing the world. But rules of the road, maritime and naval conventions, 12-mile limits and 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones weren't ubiquitous even as ships were transforming from wood to iron and sail to steam. And the ubiquity of oceans covering nearly three-quarters of the globe and of cyberspace that is far greater in its domain has parallels that could help in framing and creating some sort of "cyber-regime."

To others, including me, the financial system is a useful parallel for understanding how cyber might be addressed. Money is ubiquitous. Most of it isn't real in the sense that the actual amount of cash in circulation is a tiny fraction of all credit, bonds, equities, savings accounts and money markets. The financial network suffers from criminals who would counterfeit money or break into banks, automated teller machines and convenience stores that have ample supplies or rogues who are out to con or cheat the system through a variety of scams. Central banks, regulatory agencies, international agreements, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Bank for International Settlements, among other organizations including the Groups of Eight and 20 and Basel conventions, have attempted to keep the financial system operating safely and securely.

Cyber has very unique characteristics. It is available to anyone who wishes to use it and has access to a computer or cellphone or other device capable of connecting to the Internet. As the cyberattacks against Latvia demonstrated, a society can be disrupted to the point of reaching an act of war. The dilemma is identifying with certainty the attacker. A 12- or 14-year-old may be as or more dangerous than a state in what can be done in disrupting the cyber world. The question is whether someone would go to war over a cyberattack.

What is needed? Kramer and I propose establishing a center for creating a broad structure and framework for cyber policy and strategy. Much of the current cyber effort is highly technical -- to use an earlier reference, building an A-bomb before creating the strategy and understanding the consequences. Such a center would combine public- and private-sector experts with intellectual gravitas across many endeavors including philosophy, politics, strategy and science as well the technical areas and not limited to Americans.

Cyber is indeed a medium on which most of the world depends for connectivity, business, finance and communication whether among states and large entities or individuals. The aim of this center would be to do for cyber what was done conceptually in the nuclear, maritime and financial fields. Only then can the safety, security and freedom of the cyber world be assured.

(Harlan Ullman is senior adviser at the Atlantic Council and chairman of the Killowen Group, which advises leaders of government and industry.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

related report
McAfee, Riverbed unveil new security plan
McAfee and Riverbed have gone into partnership to unveil a new wide area network security package that works at different levels to respond to the needs of institutions with multiple or remote offices.

Analysts said the new WAM product, if proven cost-effective, could answer a long-felt need to reduce costs on complex networks that also need to be secure when distributed across several premises of the same organization.

Security experts said they saw the potential for the new appliance having both civil and military applications and a global marketing opportunity.

Competition in the security industry has grown fierce with cybersecurity moving up the national and international agenda since the Obama administration launched an awareness program last year.

Critics say the industry needs to standardize more and deliver on the promise to make new appliances and applications more affordable and less complicated for public and corporate staff assigned to manage them.

McAfee Inc. and Riverbed Technology said their partnership delivers a "best-of-breed and comprehensive" security and WAN optimization solution for organizations with remote offices.

The companies in a news release called it "the one-box solution." The appliance includes McAfee Firewall Enterprise software running on the Riverbed Steelhead appliance, which has already won awards.

The appliance enables enterprises to provide accelerated data and application access to users while protecting critical information and infrastructure from hackers, viruses and other security threats.

The joining of forces between McAfee and Riverbed will help customers cost-effectively address issues that arise when computers are distributed across locations.

The appliance has brought into focus key issues of server centralization, data center consolidation and a mobile workforce.

"Customers will realize immediate, tangible benefits and lower total cost of ownership through device consolidation, reduced operational complexity and lower business risk," the companies stated.

Riverbed says its WAN optimization can address infrastructure bottlenecks such as slow database backups and insufficient bandwidth at remote sites.

By speeding the performance of applications between data centers, remote offices and highly mobile workers, in some cases by up to 100 times, IT staff can hope to consolidate their operations and increase productivity.

Riverbed says its Steelhead products enable companies to consolidate IT while improving staff productivity and collaboration.

Venugopal Pai, a Riverbed vice president, said companies are increasingly consolidating their IT infrastructure and moving data farther from users, with the result that response time is often affected.

Dan Ryan, a McAfee executive vice president and general manager of the network security business at the company, said customers now expected simplified management and security that was integrated into critical network infrastructures.

McAfee Inc., the world's largest dedicated security technology company, has headquarters in Santa Clara.

Riverbed Technology has headquarters in San Francisco.