Understanding Cybersecurity

Reviews / Votes

Does the US mature cyber as a strategic capability and become a world class player in this domain or cede the field to opponents and perpetually react to their actions? Gaining cyber dominance will be a long and arduous journey. The substantial gap between capability and policy will impede our rate of progress. A first step to narrow this critical gap and accelerate our journey is to read this volume, internalize the key challenges and broaden the debate across the policy, legal, privacy, information technology, military and intelligence sectors. -- James Gosler, Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins University Recommended: A compilation of updated articles sourced from the US Air Force journal Strategic Studies Quarterly, this volume looks at cyberspace from a governmental and military standpoint, focusing on defense planning and strategy. Schaub (Univ. of Copenhagen) has edited a cohesive monograph on the topic, and contributors include an authoritative combination of academics and industry experts. While officially divided into two complementary sections, governance and operations, Understanding Cybersecurity seamlessly delves first into the philosophical issues of governing a realm "bound only by the limits of human innovation" (p. 3), then looks at the logistical issues of governance, and finally discusses defense and operational strategy. With cyberspace now considered the "fifth domain" of security operations by the US Department of Defense, it stands to reason that the largest portion of this monograph presents a militaristic view of managing cyber conflict and planning for cyber warfare. While many current works approach cybersecurity from an information technology perspective, this work provides a needed academic primer on the philosophy and logistics behind how governmental agencies are creating policy in regards to cybersecurity and securing infrastructures against cyber threats. * Choice Reviews * This compact volume includes some of the best scholarship in the field, providing a deeper understanding of the dynamics of cyberspace and cyberwar. The research and analysis here are essential reading to understand the important cybersecurity challenges facing the United States and the international community today. -- Jason Healey, Senior Fellow for the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council and Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs Long acknowledged as the fifth domain of military operations, cyberspace remains the least understood - a "place" where daily skirmishes involve nation-states, private corporations, and individuals on territory lacking the boundaries, rules, and doctrine that delimit the counterpart domains of air, space, land, and sea. The hard and necessary work of maturing cyber doctrine and practice will be built upon the careful scholarship such as that found in this volume - a must read for any who will operate in cyberspace, and all who will depend on their success. -- Chris Inglis, Former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency Schaub (Univ. of Copenhagen) has edited a cohesive monograph on the topic, and contributors include an authoritative combination of academics and industry experts.



this work provides a needed academic primer on the philosophy and logistics behind how governmental agencies are creating policy in regards to cybersecurity and securing infrastructures against cyber threats.





Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.





Readership Level: Upper-division Undergraduates, Graduate Students, Researchers/Faculty, Professionals/Practitioners * Choice Reviews *