Cyber Statecraft Initiative in the News

Handler, Schroeder, and Herr in War on the Rocks: cyber security as counter terrorism seeking a better debate

Earlier this month, a senior Justice Department official referred to ransomware as a potential “cyber weapon of mass destruction.” When hackers subsequently disabled the Colonial Pipeline, causing fuel shortages and disruptions along the East Coast, it seemed to validate this warning. But it would be a mistake for the policy establishment to double down on an outdated […]

Handler, Schroeder, and Herr in War on the Rocks: Cyber security as counter-terrorism: Seeking a better debate

By Atlantic Council

To improve US cybersecurity, policymakers should draw on relevant strategic lessons from the study of terrorism and counterterrorism.

Schroeder, Handler, and Herr for the Modern War Institute at West Point: Population-centric cybersecurity: Lessons from counterinsurgency

By Atlantic Council

In developing strategic responses to conflict within and through cyberspace, the United States should learn from past conflicts with similar characteristics. Population-centric counterinsurgency strategies provide a compelling lens.

Herr in Lawfare: everything you need to know about the new executive order on cybersecurity

Yesterday evening, the Biden administration released its much-anticipated “Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity.”  It is tempting to yawn; every administration in recent memory has done something of this kind, after all, and not always to significant effect.  But this executive order deserves your attention. It contains concrete measures tailored to respond to lessons […]

Myles-Primakoff and Sherman in Foreign Policy: Russia Can’t Afford to Block Twitter—Yet

Sherman and Herr in Council on Foreign Relations: the US should make “leverage” the foundation of its cyber strategy

The SolarWinds incident spurred a flurry of debates about whether the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2018 “defend forward” strategy should, or could, have prevented the calamity. Putting aside that the Russian operation was cyber espionage—stealing data rather than denying, disrupting, degrading, or destroying systems—some of these arguments reflected an idea that the United States should […]

Handler and Sherman in the National Interest: The United States needs a public strategy for deterring disinformation

By Atlantic Council

To give the disinformation threat the credence it deserves, the government must create a public strategy on combating disinformation, with deterrence as a main component.

Forscey in Lawfare: the cyber regulators are coming for the cloud

Today’s cloud computing industry is as important as it is complicated, a critical and opaque sector that undergirds the economy but that few people truly understand. Cloud services have become a pillar of digital society, supporting nonstop innovation. They also create interdependencies that generate a wellspring of concentrated risk. Ensuring that the various subsectors of […]

John in Dark Reading: SolarWinds a catalyst for change and a cry for collaboration

The Sunburst campaign, which includes the SolarWinds incident, is not unique in its type or frequency. Supply-chain attacks have been happening more often over the past seven or so years. As adversaries continue to rapidly identify vulnerabilities, coupled with the world’s increased reliance on digital connectivity, we face mounting challenges in preventing, detecting, and responding […]

Handler in The Hill: Israel and Palestine must cooperate to combat disinformation

By Atlantic Council

It is in the best interest of both Israel and the Palestinians to confront the challenge of Hamas disinformation together.