The U.S. Response to the 2016 Russian Election Meddling and the Evolving National Strategic Thought in Cyberspace (Part 2)

Abstract

Given the technical, societal and international nature of cyberspace, national cybersecurity strategy formation demands a hybrid approach of homeland security and the more traditional national security processes. Moreover, as the series of the latest publicly known cyber incidents against the U.S.—the 2014 OMB espionage, the 2015 attack against Sony Pictures, the 2016 DNY attack or the Russian election hack and leaks—show, the dilemma of a proportionate response is a thorny technical, political and strategic task, while the need for a strategic level response is ever growing. Based on the analytical framework elaborated in the first part of this study series, the second part gives a strategic insight into the major determinants of the national response policy options to substantial cyberattacks against the U.S. The article also discusses wider strategic features pertaining to cyberspace, including strategic value of cyber weapons, threat perception, and national strategy cultures, which fundamentally impact cybersecurity and strategy formation.