Cyber Defence in Focus: Enemies Near and Far - or Just Behind the Firewall: The Case for Knowledge Management

摘要

The management of information and knowledge in the defence sector stands at an interesting juncture. Key dilemmas facing the defence sector are on one hand, identifying and effectively using the increasing potential of technical interoperability; on the other hand, the need for new management practices juxtaposed with the escalating global challenge to security to counteract the rise of cyber crime, cyber espionage and in the extreme, cyber warfare. As a consequence, governments are increasingly identifying their digital infrastructure as a strategic national asset that also needs to be better protected. This paper argues that such threats to the defence sector from cyberspace challenge existing paradigms for managing information and knowledge and suggests a more radical approach to gaining knowledge superiority is prescient to remain agile in the fast-moving, technologically advanced defence cyberspace. This paper posits the view that if the defence sector acknowledges information and knowledge as a strategic asset it needs to be more aware of the advantages of knowledge management (KM) and place it at the centre of the strategic management approach. This research also highlights the importance of the production and application of knowledge to manage the developing potential threats to the battle space, the business space and now cyberspace.