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This paper describes a systemic method towards standardization of a cyber weapon effectiveness and effectiveness prediction process to promote consistency and improve cyber weapon system evaluation accuracy – for both offensive and defensive postures. The approach included theoretical examination of existing effectiveness prediction processes for kinetic and directed energy weapons, complemented with technical and social aspects of cyber realm. The examination highlighted several paradigm-shifts needed to transition from purely kinetic-based processes and transition into the realm of combined kinetic and cyber weapons. Components of the new method for cyber weapons are cyber payload assessment, effects identification, and target assessment. The ultimate outcome of method is the 'Probability of Kill' for a cyber weapon paired with a threat and within a given situation. This probability is a function of factors such as intelligence gathered on the latency of information, access points, hardware and software configurations, accuracy and completeness of network map, understanding of operations tempo; likelihood that vulnerabilities being exploited are patched and IT's ability to detect and respond to the delivery of the cyber payload; and probability that the payload will achieve the desired mission effects. Aside from the use of this method for offensive purposes, it can also be mirrored as cyber defense and can serve as basis for developing cyber defense strategies, such as focused counter intelligence on access points, hardware and software configurations, and network map and architecture, comprehensive patching to assure most current and complete patches are deployed, and well trained and equipped IT with ability to detect and respond to cyber payloads.

Coastal communities have an uncertain future as municipalities grapple with an increase in the frequency of coastal flooding. This article offers a simple approach to make decisions based on systems thinking. The objective of this article is to explore how to represent the coast as a system, how to apply systems thinking to coastal infrastructure, and to offer a framework to employ an integrated systems approach. The framework aids a community to map its future in the face of the changing coastal waters and a way to assess if they are moving toward a solution. It also provides a disciplined way of structured thinking to judge a problem and determine whether a hard or soft systems approach is appropriate. This kind of thinking is necessary for a community to plan capital improvement investments that are compatible with an uncertain future brought about by climate change.

The paper aims to identify the similarities and differences in the emphases and patterns that military and civilian managers attribute to strategy. Two different analysis methods were employed in order to achieve abovementioned research objective. In the first method, the aim was to reveal and compare strategy understanding of the sample groups. Towards that end, ten different strategy definitions and nine different necessity statements compiled from various definitions/statements in the existing strategic management literature were provided to the samples. Then, the samples were requested to consider how strategy and necessity of strategy is formed in their minds, and then to choose top three definitions out of 9/10, and finally rank them in preference order, from one to three. Lastly, we counted the ranks/perceived importance of the various strategy definitions and necessity statements that which statement is ranked to which place. Using mean rank assessment by nonparametric comparison method the study shows differences between military and civilian managers in following aspect: the comparison of the emphases that are attributed to approach to strategy identified significant differences among business and military managers. Concisely, the paper reveals the varying perceptions of business and military managers on strategy based on their personal perceptions. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

It is evident from the literature that the concept of strategy has been adopted from the military and well modified for use in the business world. However, despite the thousands years old military origin of strategy the previous researches focused on only business managers' perceptions on strategy. Therefore, in order to address this gap in the literature, the paper intended to identify the strategy modes among military managers. By using factor analysis the study reveals and moreover categorizes five different modes of strategy among the military managers. Practical use of the research findings, limitations, as well as future research directions are also provided. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion