Introduction

Abstract

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.