Cyberwarfare constitutes new front for US military

them. A new paradigm must be developed that reflects the realities of cyberspace, which expands the battlefield past the supposedly-safe borders of our homeland and into almost every aspect of our lives.

That so much activity relies on this technology means escaping the impact of cyberwarfare is unlikely. The capacity for a single solution is equally unlikely. Whatdowedo?

All of these developments present the Department of Defense with a new challenge and beg the question: What will “traditional warfare” mean in 2025 or 2030?

The American military does not possess sufficient numbers of skilled operators to counter this growing threat, much less obtain superiority in the cyberspace domain. We need to train for a different set of skills and knowledge.

The tools that will advance U.S. military capabilities are also creating vulnerabilities since they operate on the same internet that is under attack. As U.S. policies evolve and incorporate innovative technologies into defense systems, they need to be designed with an eye toward security. Developing a strong military without protecting the electrical grids at home is short-sighted and will hinder longer-term success.

A proactive planning approach will prove the most effective way to move forward. The focus must be on finding solutions within the network. As history has shown, military strategy must adapt to new domains.

Cyberspace is that next domain. A traditional system that cannot respond in “digital time” to a multi-pronged threat or that cannot provide protection while attacking others may be of little use in the future. It would be the equivalent of the Polish army attempting to use their horse cavalry team against the German armored brigades at the beginning of World War II. Society and warfare have evolved from horses against metal to metal against the matrix.

Going forward, many political and military questions will need to be addressed as we determine how to conduct and respond to cyberwarfare. Unanimous agreement is unlikely, but an informed dialogue with the public on these issues is essential. That will pave the way for compromise necessary to establish new policies and principles for this complicated subject of cyberwarfare.

Marie Neill Sciarrone is co-founder and president of Trinity Cyber LLC and a former special assistant to the president for homeland security. She originally wrote a longer version of this essay for The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute. This is being distributed by Insidesources. com.