The U.S. Response to the 2016 Russian Election Meddling and the Evolving National Strategic Thought in Cyberspace (Part 1)
Abstract :
Due to the heightened political sensitivity caused by the recently held U.S. midterm
elections and the frenzied media concentration on the 2016 election meddling,
hacking and leaks have been in the focus of public discussions ever since. In order
to better comprehend the appraisal of the U.S. political leadership back in 2016
and early in 2017, this article contextualizes the events and the response measures
in the wider cybersecurity position of the U.S. Tracking down the development
of the U.S. political and military approach to cyber threats,3 we came to
the conclusion that the U.S. is lacking a working cybersecurity policy largely
because its perception of cyber threats is self-centred and still deeply rooted in
the strategic thinking of nuclear or traditional military attacks. Even if the same
strategic principles are valid in cyberspace, cyberattacks, single, systemic or part
of a broader influence operation, they play out according to a set of completely
different dynamics than kinetic attacks. The true strategic lesson of the recent
election meddling is that Russia has been, and most probably will be, able to seize
the momentum and masterfully exploit those inherent deficiencies. Consequently,
cyberspace as a strategic environment necessitates the careful analysis of
the strategic thinking of the potential adverse nation.