Persistent, Deniable, Defensive: Cyber Operations and the Army

This episode of the Social Science of War podcast examines the challenges posed by cyber threats to the United States and how the nation and Army are adapting to the cyber domain. To do so, host Kyle Atwell is joined by Colonel Candice E. Frost, commander of the Joint Intelligence Operations Center at US Cyber Command, and Major Margeret Smith, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point and a researcher at the Army Cyber Institute. They begin by outlining a few of the key characteristics of the cyber domain before explaining why cyber operations often favor the defense, particularly given how challenging and resource intensive planning cyber offensive operations can be. They then discuss how the Army fits into the US national response to cyber threats to include the role of hunt-forward teams working with US partners and allies overseas. They conclude with recommendations for how noncyber military leaders should approach the cyber domain at the tactical and operational levels during both peacetime and in potential large-scale combat operations.

Read more about this episode on the MWI website, including recent works by Major Smith that served as the basis for this conversation!