The Evolution of American Cyber Strategy
Paper details:
The deliverable for this project is to be a paper that is 68 pages in length (12-pt font, Times New Roman, double-spaced) not including references (i.e. your reference list is to be a separate page).
Context:
The United States has, over the past several years, adopted an official strategy for cyberspace that governs how the Department of Defense will operate online.
In actuality, the most recent strategy (in 2018) is just the most recent in a long line of strategic assessments and statements reaching back to the late 1990s that articulate America’s approach to fighting in cyberspace and the responsibilities of the U.S. military for fighting online.
The evolution of this strategy has been quite unusual in many ways, as American cyber strategy has gone from being a subset of broader national strategy to a distinct, discrete vision centered on cyberspace as a unique domain of military operation.
Instructions:
Your paper for this topic option is fairly straightforward. You are tasked with tracking and reporting on the history of America’s national cyber strategy for the defense establishment (i.e. the Department of Defense/Pentagon). This involves several tasks and answering several questions for each new iteration of national defense strategy, specifically:
At the time, how did the defense establishment think about the impact of cyberspace on the broader challenge of ensuring national security?
At the time, what did the defense establishment see as its responsibilities vis-a-vis using its cyber capabilities?
At the time, what tactical and operational strategies did the defense establishment utilize to fulfill its responsibilities?
In conclusion, answer the following question: in your opinion, is America’s current strategy a reflection of changing strategic thinking about cyberspace or have changes to U.S. cyber strategy resulted more from parochial factors (i.e. institutional politics, national politics, etc.)?
