Cyberspace Operations: What Senior Leaders Need to Know About Cyberspace

摘要

The United States is dependent on computer networks for rapid sharing of information and the operation of critical infrastructure. The daily lives of Americans and many other global cultures rely on increasingly vulnerable networks for electric power, finance, education, and a host of other critical but often taken-for-granted services. Cyberspace, in its working definition is ubiquitous across government and private industry, from national defense to small private enterprises connecting all aspects of life unlike any other medium in human history. The Internet, as it was originally conceived and evolved, gave little priority to security. Therefore, its vulnerabilities grow as more critical government and private organizations increasingly depend upon its availability to conduct day-to-day operations. In the military, concepts such as Information Operations and Network Centric Warfare rely on complex information systems that utilize global computer networks. Until 2009, most requirements and decisions on network security and capability were made by communications experts, especially in the military. However, as dependence on this vulnerable network increases, commanders must be directly involved because of the great operational impact of network failure or degradation. There is concern that many senior leaders are being thrust into an area for which they are poorly equipped due to lack of cyberspace education or experience. As cyberspace operations are now fully embedded in military operations, it is imperative that academic institutions provide cyberspace education opportunities for our future commanders as well as government and private sector leaders.