Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewEscalation Dynamics in Cyberspace deftly demonstrates why the realities of cyberspace don't match up to the hype. Erica and Shawn Lonergan provide an exemplary frame to demystify the implications of cyberspace for geopolitics and, in doing so, demonstrates to security practitioners the nuances and challenges of nation-state cyber operations. * Colin Ahern, Former Acting CISO, New York City Cyber Command *
As cyber technology has rapidly permeated every aspect of modern life, analysis has been scrambling to catch up with its impact on international conflict. Lonergan and Lonergan skillfully examine the risks in the aspect of greatest potential danger, escalation within and beyond the cyber realm. Their careful assessment goes beyond the facile intuitions that have dominated much commentary so far. It is refreshingly less alarmist than much conventional wisdom on several crucial facets of the question, while confronting the more frightening prospects on others. This book is the definitive work to date on escalation in cyber conflict. * Richard K. Betts, Leo A. Shifrin Professor of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University *
Escalation Dynamics in Cyberspace is a must-read for all policymakers across the national security enterprise as well as senior leaders in the military, homeland security, and intelligence communities. It provides critical insight into the nature of strategic interactions in cyberspace and the implications for crisis and conflict. The book reinforces and extends the core findings of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which has emphatically demonstrated that cyberspace presents crucial challenges and opportunities for the United States and the international system. * Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Executive Director, Cyberspace Solarium Commission *
Geopolitical risk stemming from cyber operations has been at the forefront of critical infrastructure protection for some time. In Escalation Dynamics in Cyberspace, Erica and Shawn Lonergan provide novel insights to understand how to conceive of and manage this risk. This book has the rare quality of being both academically rigorous while also offering actionable recommendations for practitioners. * Scott DePasquale, President and CEO, Analysis and Resilience Center for Systemic Risk *
This specialty book challenges the tendency of many cybersecurity authors to treat new information technology as a threat that will eventually destroy the world order and kill everyone... It will be interesting to see whether this level-headed, militarily oriented book will lead to a broader reassessment of the threat that cyberattacks pose to modern societies. * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Why Is There No Escalation in Cyberspace? Chapter 2: Four Attributes of Cyber Operations Chapter 3: A Theory of Cyber Escalation Chapter 4: Restraint and Accommodation: How Cyber Operations Can Diffuse Crises Chapter 5: Patterns of Escalation in Cyberspace Chapter 6: Cyber Operations and the De-Escalation of International Crises Chapter 7: Plausible Escalation Scenarios for the Future: Cyber Operations in a Warfighting Context Chapter 8: Implications for Policymaking