Military Review English Edition May-June 2014 | Page 31

UTILITY OF CYBERPOWER Access Denied! J-6 Information Assurance runs proxies to protect Joint Task Force Guantanamo servers from malicious websites. Information Assurance defends joint task force servers from internal and external threats while ensuring they comply with Defense Information Systems Agency, U.S. Army, and U.S. Southern Command procedures and policies, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 8 July 2008. (U.S. Navy) nuclear technology pursuits. Similar to strategic bombing’s inability to collapse morale in World War II, cyberattacks often rely on unpredictable second order effects. 25 If Rear Adm. Wylie is correct in that war is a matter of control, and “its ultimate tool … is the man on the scene with a gun,” then operations through cyberspace can only deliver a lesser form of control.26 Evgeny Morozov quipped, “Tweets, of course, don’t topple governments; people do.”27 Cyberattacks risk unintended consequences. Just as striking a military installation’s power system may have cascading ramifications on a wider population, limiting effects through interconnected cyberspace is difficult. Marksmanship instructors teach shooters to consider their maximum range and what lies beyond their targets. Without maps for all systems, identifying maximum ranges and what lies beyond a target through cyberspace is impossible. Defending against cyberattacks is possible. The current offensive advantage does not make MILITARY REVIEW May-June 2014 all defense pointless. Even if intrusions from sophisticated, persistent attacks are inevitable, certain defensive measures (e.g., physical security controls, limiting user access, filtering and antivirus software, and firewalls) do offer some protection. Redundancy and replication are resilience strategies that can deter some would-be attackers by making attacks futile.28 Retaliatory responses via cyberspace or other means can also enhance deterrence.29 Defense is currently disadvantaged, but offense gets no free pass in cyberspace. Expectations and Recommendations The advantages and limitations of using cyberpower inform expectations for the future and several recommendations for the military. Do not expect clear, comprehensive policy soon.30 Articulating a comprehensive U.S. strategy for employing nuclear weapons lagged 15 years behind their first use, and the timeline for 29