Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the  Marine Corps Combat Development Command, said the U.S. should focus on discovering ways of using offensive cyber capabilities to exploit weaknesses in authoritarian regimes, Fifth Domain reported Monday.
Smith, also the deputy commandant for combat development and integration, told attendees at an AFCEA event that adversaries like China may have difficulties in the event of a cyber attack due to their need to maintain central control. This is in contrast to the U.S., which disperses its essential services through interconnected networks.
He added that residents can still rely on authorities at the local, county, state and national levels while the Chinese would have to seek assistance from a centralized government.
“If I take all the cameras offline and all the mechanisms of control cease, Shanghai is not Shanghai anymore six months after that event,†according to Smith.