Cyber operations as observed today are an evolution of pre-existing aspects of modern warfare. The child of signals intelligence and electronic warfare, offensive cyber operations represent the increasing importance of targeting information systems and networks in pursuit of military objectives. The explosive rise of computing power, interconnected military and civilian networks, and the insatiable hunger of the modern military for sensory inputs all created new vulnerabilities. This chapter dissects how cyber is not an altogether new phenomenon, but rather the latest iteration of counter-innovation warfare designed to defeat modern advantages and capitalize on new vulnerabilities. The analysis cycles between World War Two, the Cold War, Network Centric Warfare, information operations, and modern cyber warfare while observing lessons learned through each. By understanding the history of cyber-warfare, we can then observe why some countries are better disposed than others to be successful at it.
Russia is one of the loudest, most prolific users of offensive cyber operations (OCOs). Rather than viewing cyber as a domain, it instead looks at the full spectrum of information operations; from influencing foreign governments to conducting tactical attacks against networks in wartime. The battle for information supremacy is enshrined into Russian doctrine since the Soviet era. Russia is well-poised to succeed in intangible warfare through its thorough integration of electronic warfare into its warfighting forces alongside an acute awareness of the utility of cyber operations for strategic gains. However, volume does not translate into quality. Russian operations as carried out by the GRU, SVR and others are often characterized by extreme technical competence marred by a recurring lack of operational discipline. As a result, intricate malware is employed poorly, deception operations are unconvincing, and ultimately Russia is frequently unable to achieve objectives through the employment of OCOs. This chapter reviews unique advantages and disadvantages of the Russian approach to OCOs, through the lens of observed operations such as the Sandworm campaigns, military culture and doctrine, and available expertise.
Where do offensive cyber operations (OCOs) fit in modern military strategy? No capability, warfighting domain, or approach works in a vacuum. Cyber can and does fit in a joint operations doctrine, but it requires acknowledging its unique circumstances, advantages and disadvantages. This chapter analyses the applicability of military concepts to OCOs. Where do they fit, and to what end? While event-based operations skew more heavily towards tactical, battlefield outcomes, presence-based operations facilitate deceptive surprise and may even result in strategic outcomes at the campaign level. One of the biggest failings of modern militaries is their incorrect application of cyber capabilities alongside kinetic or even other intangible means. Knowing how, when and where to exercise the unique force made available through OCOs can make the difference between an investment wasted and a key enabler of success. Cyber operations will never single-handedly win a war, but they can make a difference if used correctly. This chapter reviews military concepts and their application to cyber-warfare, including economy of force, centers of gravity, deception and the notion of asymmetry.
This chapter surveys the need for a book on offensive cyber operations (OCOs). All too frequently they are misjudged and incorrectly applied, both by those who seek to employ them and those who observe from the sidelines. The introduction then provides an overview of the book's structure and messaging. The book commences with a conceptual discussion of what constitutes cyber-warfare and what does not, and then explains how offensive cyber operations evolved from previous incarnations of similar intangible warfare. The third and fourth layers of analysis include an assessment of the complexities of executing an OCO, and the military advantages of doing so. The theoretical analysis is followed by case studies on the unique capabilities of Russia, the United States, China and Iran, before culminating in some cautious future-gazing.
There are several significant developments in computing, networks and information security that may affect the balance of offensive cyber operations (OCOs) over the coming years and decades. These changes are more likely to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, by intensifying the existing characteristics of OCOs rather than altogether supplanting them. This chapter assesses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous platforms and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) on OCOs by examining current development trajectories and their potential significance. These developments all demonstrate the increased reliance of human society on information networks and therefore represent potentially deepening vulnerabilities. Developments in artificial intelligence may both increase efficiency in scaled offensive operations while creating new vulnerable centers of gravity. Autonomous vehicles (drones)--and swarms thereof--may represent an increase in safe military lethality, but the complexity in controlling them remotely may similarly create an exploitable vulnerability. Considering the tendency of humanity to innovate first and worry about security later, there is significant need for continuous, active monitoring of these trends.
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