As Machines Wage War, Human Nature Endures

Fear, Honor, and Self-Interest Are Still the Wellsprings of Conflict

Over the past quarter century, the information technology revolution has transformed relations between people and between states, including in the conduct of warfare.

For the U.S. military, the manifestations of this revolution have covered the full spectrum from the dramatic to the prosaic. Unmanned aerial vehicles, ships, and ground systems now carry increasingly sophisticated surveillance capabilities and precision guided weapons. Less visible, but also hugely important, has been development of the ability to integrate and analyze vast quantities of intelligence from all sources and determine precise locations of friendly and enemy …

Is the Cyber Era the New Cold War?

Both Are Elusive and Shadowy, with No Clear Endgame

So-called cyberwarfare has blurred the boundaries of what war is, raising profound questions about how the U.S. should respond to attacks that occur online and in information networks. This was …

Why Didn’t the U.S. React More Forcefully to the DNC Hacking?

Because We Haven't Yet Defined the Rules of Engagement in the Cyber Age

Last year, Russian intelligence mounted an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the U.S. election. Russian hackers broke into the email of the Democratic National Committee and of John Podesta, …

Why It’s So Hard to Stop a Cyberattack—and Even Harder to Fight Back

Evasive Culprits and Unclear Intentions Risk Escalation and Retaliation

Imagine that the United States is hit by a cyberattack that takes down much of the U.S. financial infrastructure for several days. Internet sites of major banks are malfunctioning. ATMs …