Networking and Media (Formerly NewsMedia) –
Current cyber and information operations defenses will likely remain inadequate to counter the growing trend of malign cyberspace activities despite significant legislative, strategy, and policy efforts. The United States faces considerable challenges in safeguarding its critical infrastructure and maintaining the integrity of its democratic processes against sophisticated cyber threats and pervasive disinformation campaigns. These threats, foreign and domestic, aim to disrupt government functions, degrade the stability of American democracy, and sow discord. The People's Republic of China (PRC), Russia, North Korea, and Iran intensify these challenges through cyber-attacks, economic espionage, criminal activities, and influence operations that seek to displace the United States as a global leader.
Strategic Environment and Threat Landscape. The appeal of cyberspace for malign actors lies in its inherent characteristics—low cost, asymmetry, deniability, and scalability. Cyber tools have become favored weapons in modern conflict due to their ability to easily manipulate digital environments—from social media platforms to critical national infrastructure, presenting opportunities for adversaries to exploit software vulnerabilities, hardware flaws, and human factors such as social engineering.
Vulnerabilities and Defensive Challenges. Cyber has no borders, and nearly everything connected to the internet is vulnerable. Adversaries only need a single-entry point to compromise nascent to national security-critical systems, exploiting all attack vectors from software vulnerabilities to humans. The pervasive influence of algorithms and the rise of artificial intelligence further complicates the cyber battlefield, enhancing the capabilities of cyber tools, increasing risk, and significantly challenging defensive efforts.
Government and Societal Response. A whole-of-government and society approach is imperative to address these challenges. This includes enhancing cybersecurity defenses, promoting digital and media literacy, regulating social media platforms, and leveraging civil society initiatives to foster public resilience. The approach must involve improved collaboration and cooperation with industry, academia, and private citizens to implement a strategy drawing on successful international models of comprehensive societal engagement, cyber and media literacy, and modernization. U.S. strategy must expand offensive cyber capability to compel adversaries to stop attacking U.S. sovereignty when deterrence fails, and defense is insufficient.
Recommendations. America must implement a comprehensive “whole of society” approach with four primary lines of effort. 1) Expanding education and messaging to combat cyber and disinformation threats across the public and private sectors. 2) Strengthening partnerships with allies, private industry, and academia for sharing cyber threat intelligence and coordinating defense strategies. 3) Enhancing cybersecurity regulations for critical infrastructure and digital platforms to mitigate misinformation and cyber espionage risks. 4) Targeting actions to modernize critical infrastructure and cyber defenses coupled with cyber compellence to deter malign activities.
Conclusion. Strengthening U.S. cyber and information operation defenses against growing threats requires a whole-of-society approach – engaging allies, the private sector, and the public – to protect national security, safeguard U.S democracy, and secure America’s role in the global order.