Four Core Questions for U.S. Cyberattack Guidance
Abstract
National governments, including that of the United States, do not yet have well-formed cyber attack policies and strategies. A proposed framework consisting of four foundational elements -- contextual views, the cyber attack spectrum, balance of focus, and appropriate circumstances -- provides a basis for considering, discussing, developing, and assessing strategic cyber attack guidance. How an actor approaches each of these four elements fundamentally shapes the myriad details of subsequent policy and strategy. In view of this framework, the United States should pursue the development of comprehensive cyber attack theory. Additionally, it should adopt a broader, but more nuanced view of cyber attacks combined with a focus weighted toward strategic attack. Consequently, such a perspective will inform a normative approach for determining the appropriate circumstances in which to conduct cyber attack, which will guide both U.S. action and modernization of international norms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA590664
Entities
People
- Jonathan C. Rice Iv
Organizations
- United States Army War College