Cyber Persistence and Campaigning The Logic and Art of Securing Cyberspace

The core argument of Cyber Persistence and Campaigning is straightforward: to avoid being drawn into unwanted crisis or armed conflict (or prevail in both if they emerge), policymakers must apply cyber resources through coherent continuous cyber campaigns that set and structure conditions and circumstances to their advantage. The optimal way for policymakers to do this is to conduct concurrent campaigns for cyber contingency and advantage in competition. Cyber resources are not optimized as substitutes for conventional or nuclear weapons in war, or for coercion in crisis settings. They are, rather, the anticipatory stage-setters for those contingencies. As such, they are critical to ensuring the military forces that deter and fight are always ready and able to do so, and they play a parallel, simultaneous role in advancing state interests short of those contingencies. This means that states seeking and sustaining cyber initiative will have the advantage across the competition-conflict spectrum over those that do not. Cyber persistence through campaigning combines a single logic with a 21st century artform. Those states that master this combination will thrive in the digital age.

Michael P. Fischerkeller is a researcher in the Information, Technology and Systems Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Michael has spent over 25 years supporting the U.S. Office of the Secretary of War, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Combatant and Multi-National Force commanders. His areas of expertise are cyber strategy, strategic/operational concept development, and assessment.

Emily O. Goldman is a cyber strategist and thought leader on cyber policy at the National Security Agency. Previous positions include Director of Cyber Strategy, National Security Council; Director, USCYBERCOM/NSA Combined Action Group; and cyber advisor to the Director of Policy Planning, Department of State. She has received awards and fellowships from the MacArthur, Olin, Pew, and Smith Richardson Foundations, U.S. Institute of Peace, Woodrow Wilson Center, and U.S. Naval War College.

Richard J. Harknett is Professor and Director of the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy at the University of Cincinnati. He co-directs the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, a state-wide organization supporting cyber education, workforce, economic, and research development. He oversees the Ohio Persistent Cyber Improvement for Local Government program. He served as Scholar-in-Residence at U.S. Cyber Command.