Defense planning is one of the critical parts of the United States’ future strategy as it assists in preventing attacks and minimizing their consequences. Nevertheless, as shown by Gray, the nature of threats is changing, making it difficult to prepare a successful defense strategy (5). Anticipating new and emerging threats can thus help to improve the United States’ readiness for war. The present paper will seek to argue that attacks on military cyberspace are an emerging technology that will change the character of war and that the United States can deter the threat by improving the security and stability of its military cyberspaces. The development of technology allows other countries to perform cyber attacks on the U.S. cyberspace, which could affect military function in the context of war (Jabbour and Ratazzi 38). However, there are viable strategies that the United States could employ in order to secure its military cyberspace. For example, reducing potential vulnerabilities and improving resilience would contribute to the deterrence and mitigation of cyber attacks in the future (Kern 90-91). Building a comprehensive strategy for securing cyberspace should thus be among the key steps taken by the United States to prepare for the threat.
Cyber attacks are becoming a concern for the U.S. defense strategy, as other countries develop their potential in the field of cyber technologies and gain the capacity to attack the U.S. cyberspace. Haney states that both Russia and China have been exploring and using new technologies to exploit vulnerabilities in the cyber domain (5). Cyber attacks pose a threat to many industries and can also be used to damage the country’s defense mechanisms. As explained by Jabbour and Ratazzi, cyberspace is “a foundational domain that enables US military superiority and secondarily as another warfighting domain in its own right, where specific effects can be achieved through cyberspace operations” (38). Ricks also describes the technique of cyber-siege, stating that one of the core vulnerabilities of the United States is its reliance on cyber technologies in military operations. Therefore, by performing attacks on the U.S. cyberspace, hostile forces can influence the country’s response to threats, thus affecting the outcomes of the war.
Nevertheless, there is a potential for the United States to deter the attacks on its military cyberspace, thus preventing the damage to the defense strategy. Jabbour and Ratazzi argue that a strategy for securing cyberspace could be effective in preventing attacks (38). However, it is critical to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive and takes into account the various properties of cyberspace, including rapid changes to technology, global impact, and jurisdictional complexity (Jabbour and Ratazzi 41). Developing such strategy would require significant knowledge and understanding of the emerging threat, as well as the development of technologies for deterrence. Another important notion in the discussion of cyber attacks threat is the military cyber power theory. According to Kern, a theory of military cyber power can promote operations for securing cyberspace by defining the core characteristics of cyber power, such as convergence, complexity, need for defense, global reach, strategic attribution, and more (91-92). Successful defense against cyber attacks would thus rely on a strategy that promotes the resilience and security of cyber systems while also acknowledging their vulnerabilities.
Overall, the threat of cyber attacks against military cyberspace is a significant concern that must be addressed by the U.S. defense strategy. Cyber attacks performed by hostile countries could affect the country’s capacity to defend itself, thus changing the landscape of military conflict. Nevertheless, developing a successful and comprehensive strategy could aid the United States in deterring the threat of attacks, thus improving its defense mechanisms.
Works Cited
Gray, Colin S. “War – Continuity in Change, and Change in Continuity.” Parameters, vol. 40, no. 2, 2010, pp. 5-13.
Haney, Cecil D. “Strategic Deterrence for the Future.” Air and Space Power Journal, 2015, pp. 4-8.
Jabbour, Kamal T., and E. Paul Ratazzi. “Deterrence in Cyberspace.” Thinking About Deterrence: Enduring Questions in a Time of Rising Powers, Rogue Regimes, and Terrorism, edited by Adam Lowther, Air University Press, 2013, pp. 37-47.
Kern, Sean Charles Gaines. “Expanding Combat Power Through Military Cyber Power Theory.” Joint Force Quarterly, vol. 79, no. 4, 2015, pp. 88-95.
Ricks, Thomas E. “The Future of War (II): As the Nature of War Changes, the Familiar Dividing Lines of Our World are Blurring Across the Board.”Foreign Policy. 2014, Web.