Military Review English Edition May-June 2014 | Page 29

UTILITY OF CYBERPOWER

Defining Cyberspace and
Cyberpower

A range of definitions for cyberspace and
cyberpower exist, but even the importance of
establishing definitions is debated. Daniel Kuehl
compiled 14 distinct definitions of cyberspace from
various sources, only to conclude he should offer
his own.6 Do exact definitions matter? In bureaucratic organizations, definitions do matter because
they facilitate clear division of roles and missions
across departments and military services. Within
DOD, some duplication of effort may be desirable
but comes at a high cost; therefore, definitions are
necessary to facilitate the rigorous analyses essential for establishing organizational boundaries and
budgets.7 In executing assigned roles, definitions
matter greatly for cross-organizational communication and coordination.
No matter how important, precise definitions to
satisfy all viewpoints and contexts are elusive. Consider defining the sea as all the world’s oceans. This
definition lacks sufficient clarity to demarcate bays or
riverine waterways. Seemingly inconsequential, the
ambiguity is of great consequence for organizations
jurisdictionally bound at a river’s edge. Unlike the
sea’s constant presence for millennia, the Internet is a

relatively new phenomenon that continues to expand
and evolve rapidly. Pursuing single definitions of
cyberspace and cyberpower to put all questions to
rest may be futile. David Lonsdale argued that from
a strategic perspective, definitions matter little. In his
view, “what really matters is to perceive the infosphere as a place that exists, understand the nature of
it and regard it as something that can be manipulated
and used for strategic advantage.”8 The definitions
belo w are consistent with Lonsdale’s viewpoint and
suffice for the purposes of this discussion, but they
are unlikely to satisfy practitioners who wish to apply
them beyond a strategic perspective.
Cyberspace: the domain that exists for inputting,
storing, transmitting, and extracting information
utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum. It includes
all hardware, software, and transmission media
used, from an initiator’s input (e.g., fingers making
keystrokes, speaking into microphones, or feeding
documents into scanners) to presentation of the
information for user cognition (e.g., images on
displays, sound emitted from speakers, or document reproduction) or other action (e.g., guiding
an unmanned vehicle or closing valves).
Cyberpower: The potential to use cyberspace
to achieve desired outcomes.9

U.S. Cyber Command held a joint cyberspace training exercise during November 2011, primarily conducted at the Air Force Red Flag Facility
at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The exercise brought together approximately 300 cyber and information technology professionals, 2 November
2011. (U.S. Army)
MILITARY REVIEW

May-June 2014

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