Transforming the Next Generation of Military Leaders into Cyber-Strategic Leaders: The role of cybersecurity education in US service academies
By Francesca Spidalieri, Jennifer McArdle
| July 31, 2018
Information communication technologies (ICTs) have become the foundation—both the bone marrow and connective tissue—of modern militaries. Satellites, precision guided munitions, nuclear launch systems, helicopters, and any number of other weapon platforms are reliant on ICTs for their operational capability and connectivity. No modern military can enter the battlespace without some reliance on cyberspace for their land, sea, air, space, or information operations. Moreover, the ‘battlespace’ is no longer reserved solely for ‘war time’. Cyberspace has blurred the lines between traditional conflict and peace, and states are finding themselves in a position of protracted, low-level conflict in the cyber realm. While this conflict often takes the form of cyber crime, cyber espionage or service disruption, the specter of a large-scale armed conflict conducted wholly or partially in cyberspace, continues to rise. [1] And while cybersecurity is not solely a defense challenge, the US military’s increasing reliance on cyberspace, alongside the growing array of cyber threats and vulnerabilities, has made securing this space and establishing a competitive advantage on the modern battlefield a leading priority for any military in the 21st century.
Transforming the Next Generation of Military Leaders into Cyber-Strategic Leaders: The role of cybersecurity education in US service academies