An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News
NEWS | Sept. 13, 2012

The Case for Cyber

By Col. Jon Brickey, Maj. Jacob Cox, Col. John Nelson, and Col. Gregory Conti

Cyber warfare isn’t hype; it’s real. America’s decisive technological advantage now contains the seed of our undoing. Our technological dependence is woven into the fabric of our way of life and our national defense. GPS satellites guide troops and weapon systems, algorithms fly aircraft and allocate supplies, websites drive personnel assignments and promotion boards, and official and personal data and voice communications almost exclusively transit computer networks. If these critical networks begin to fail, we aren’t a twenty-first century fighting force; we are a 1980-era military. This estimate is generous. In 1980, we knew how to fight using face-to-face communications, manual land navigation, analog radios, and acetate overlays. Today is different. Information technology has largely kept its allure of dramatically increased efficiency at low cost. Thus, we no longer have “stubby pencil” warfighting skills or the extra personnel to handle these myriad manual tasks.

 

READ MORE

 

PUBLICATIONS
Data Privacy and Security as a National Security Imperative
October 30, 2023

Command by intent can ensure command post survivability
August 29, 2023

The Tipping Point for Army Distributed Command and Control
August 1, 2023

Acknowledging the Realities of the Cyber Workforce
July 20, 2023

The Buzz About Electromagnetic Pulse Weapons
July 19, 2023

Book review: ‘On Disinformation’ by Lee McIntyre
July 19, 2023

IRREGULAR WARFARE PODCAST: EXPLORING CYBER POLICY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
June 20, 2023

ARE WE ASKING TOO MUCH OF CYBER?
May 3, 2023

West Point hosts Joint Service Academy Cybersecurity Summit as industry, government collaborate to defend against cyber threats
April 13, 2023

Soldiers innovating technology, refining tactical concepts, and strengthening partnerships
April 11, 2023