Herb Lin, Bill Owens, and Ken Dam at the NRC have a new book.

The US armed forces, among other intelligence agencies, are increasingly dependent on information and information technology for both civilian and military purposes. Although there is ample literature written on the potential impact of an offensive or defensive cyberattack on societal infrastructure, little has been written about the use of cyberattack as a national policy tool. This book focuses on the potential for the use of such attacks by the United States and its policy implications.

Since the primary resource required for a cyberattack is technical expertise, these attacks can be implemented by terrorists, criminals, individuals and corporate actors. Cyberattacks can be used by U.S. adversaries against particular sectors of the U.S. economy and critical national infrastructure that depend on computer systems and networks. Conversely, they can be used by the U.S. intelligence community with adequate organizational structure and appropriate oversight.

Focusing on the use of cyberattack as an instrument of U.S. national policy, Technology, Policy, Law and Ethics Regarding U.S. Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities explores the important characteristics of cyberattacks and why they are relatively ideal for covert action. Experts argue that the United States should establish a national policy for launching cyberattacks, whether for purposes of exploitation, offense or defense for all sectors of government. This book will be of special interest to the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, law enforcement, and the greater intelligence community.

See also:

The cyber domain is undergoing extraordinary changes that present both exceptional opportunities to and major challenges arising from malevolent actors who use cyberspace and the many security vulnerabilities that plague this sphere. Exploiting opportunities and overcoming challenges will require a balanced body of knowledge. Cyberpower and National Security assembles a group of experts, discusses pertinent issues, and identifies the important questions involved in building the human capacity to address cyber issues, balancing civil liberties with national security considerations, and developing the international partnerships needed to address cyber challenges. With more than two dozen contributors, this book covers it all.

Take note:

The National Security Agency announced that West Point cadets successfully defended their title to win their third straight Cyber Defense Exercise.

An extremely fit woman of indeterminate Los Angeles age pulled her Mercedes up to the curb on Adelaide Drive, popped open her trunk, pulled out a five-pound weight and began lifting.

Know your enemy:

For years, the US intelligence community worried that China’s government was attacking our cyber-infrastructure. Now one man has discovered it’s worse: It's hundreds of thousands of everyday civilians. And they’ve only just begun.

Be advised:

Russia retains the right to use nuclear weapons first against the means and forces of information warfare, and then against the aggressor state itself.

Technology, Policy, Law, and Ethics Regarding US Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities