This paper applies the ends, ways, and means framework to analyze the cyberspace threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and discuss the U.S. Joint Force’s defensive response posture. First, it examines how the PRC's goals of national rejuvenation and security are pursued through the People's Liberation Army's conduct of system destruction warfare, executed by a well-resourced Cyberspace Force. To counter this persistent threat to U.S. force projection, the Joint Force must adopt a coherent and proactive defensive strategy. The paper argues that U.S. defensive objectives must focus on identifying and securing key cyber terrain and mission-critical dependencies through the standardized use of existing cyber intelligence frameworks by all-source intelligence analysts. Operationally, this can help network defenders transition from reactive incident response to predictive, threat-driven defense. To do so, the Joint Force should institutionalize its cyber intelligence capabilities by establishing dedicated cyber career pathways and mandating advanced tradecraft training for all-source analysts. By leveraging predictive all-source intelligence to enhance cyber operations, the U.S. military can mitigate risks, maintain freedom of action in contested environments, and secure the information domain against advanced state-sponsored adversaries.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
doi.org/10.55682/cdr/fkpp-t0x1
The Cyber Defense Review
Volume 11, Issue 3