Understanding cyber warfare: politics, policy and strategy

"This textbook offers an accessible introduction to the historical, technical, and strategic context of global cyber conflict. The 2nd edition has been revised and updated throughout, with three new chapters. Cyber warfare involves issues of doctrine, strategy, policy, international relations and operational practice associated with computer network attack, computer network exploitation, and computer network defense. However, it is conducted within complex sociopolitical settings alongside related forms of digital contestation. This book provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the technical, strategic and policy issues associated with cyber conflict, as well as an introduction to key state and non-state actors. Specifically, the book provides a comprehensive overview of several key issue areas: - The historical context of the emergence and evolution of cyber warfare, including the basic characteristics and methods of computer network attack, exploitation, and defense; - An interdisciplinary set of theoretical perspectives on conflict in the digital age from the point of view of the fields of international relations (IR), security studies, psychology and Science, Technology and Society (STS) studies; - Current national perspectives, policies, doctrines, and strategies relevant to cyber warfare; - An examination of key challenges in international law, norm development and deterrence; and - The role of emerging information technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing in shaping the dynamics of global cyber conflict. This textbook will be essential reading for students of cybersecurity/cyber conflict and information warfare, and highly recommended for students of intelligence studies, security and strategic studies, defense policy, and International Relations in general"--

"This textbook offers an accessible introduction to the historical, technical, and strategic context of global cyber conflict. The 2nd edition has been revised and updated throughout, with three new chapters. Cyber warfare involves issues of doctrine, strategy, policy, international relations and operational practice associated with computer network attack, computer network exploitation, and computer network defense. However, it is conducted within complex sociopolitical settings alongside related forms of digital contestation. This book provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the technical, strategic and policy issues associated with cyber conflict, as well as an introduction to key state and non-state actors. Specifically, the book provides a comprehensive overview of several key issue areas: - The historical context of the emergence and evolution of cyber warfare, including the basic characteristics and methods of computer network attack, exploitation, and defense; - An interdisciplinary set of theoretical perspectives on conflict in the digital age from the point of view of the fields of international relations (IR), security studies, psychology and Science, Technology and Society (STS) studies; - Current national perspectives, policies, doctrines, and strategies relevant to cyber warfare; - An examination of key challenges in international law, norm development and deterrence; and - The role of emerging information technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing in shaping the dynamics of global cyber conflict. This textbook will be essential reading for students of cybersecurity/cyber conflict and information warfare, and highly recommended for students of intelligence studies, security and strategic studies, defense policy, and International Relations in general"--

This textbook offers an accessible introduction to the historical, technical, and strategic context of cyber conflict. The international relations, policy, doctrine, strategy, and operational issues associated with computer network attack, computer network exploitation, and computer network defense are collectively referred to as cyber warfare. This new textbook provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the technical, strategic, and policy issues associated with cyber conflict as well as an introduction to key state and non-state actors. Specifically, the book provides a comprehensive overview of these key issue areas: the historical emergence and evolution of cyber warfare, including the basic characteristics and methods of computer network attack, exploitation, and defense; a theoretical set of perspectives on conflict in the digital age from the point of view of international relations (IR) and the security studies field;the current national perspectives, policies, doctrines, and strategies relevant to cyber warfare; and an examination of key challenges in international law, norm development, and the potential impact of cyber warfare on future international conflicts.

1. Introduction -- 2. The technological foundations of insecurity in the digital age -- 3. Cyberspace and international relations -- 4. Exploitation : from signals intelligence to cyber warriors -- 5. Attack : from exploitation to offensive cyber operations -- 6. A brief history of major cyber conflict episodes -- 7. States at cyberwar : the dynamics of interstate cyber interactions -- 8. Cyber conflict as not war -- 9. Non-state actors : terrorism, subversion and activism online -- 10. National experiences with cyber-security : realization and institutional development -- 11. Norms, ethics and international law for offensive cyber operations -- 11. The future of cyber conflict.