Mutually Assured Deletion: The Uncertain Future of Mass Destruction In Cyberspace

Abstract

Much like air power in the early 20th Century, cyber operations offer a new context within which to consider the nature and character of war. Given the fledgling nature of the domain and the intrinsic rapidity with which it expands, contemplating its role in future conflict becomes increasingly important, especially as it proliferates ever deeper into both civil and military systems. While cyber advocates have begun the early stages of this examination, the surface has barely been scratched and the body of work appears to reflect an undercurrent of anxiety bordering on panic regarding what is judged to be a public and bureaucratic indifference to the threat posed by cyber vulnerabilities. The tendency to focus on these vulnerabilities and threats constitutes an uneven and overly constricted view of the problem. In a post-Cold War age characterized by uncertainty and perhaps even multi-polarity, the need to take a balanced and objective view of the future of cyber is increasingly pronounced.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA619279

Entities

People

  • Nathaniel R. Huston

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter IED
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Personnel Mines
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberspace Operations
  • Geography
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Recreation
  • Second World War
  • Treaties
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Cyber