Our nation’s system of information networks is fast becoming the backbone of our economy, our infrastructure, our national security, and our personal well-being, says President Obama.
Recent initiatives such as the Cyber Policy Review, the intent to stand up a Cyber Command, and the appointment of a Cybersecurity Coordinator at the White House underscore the importance of cyber to our national leaders. However, there is still confusion over what “cyber” actually is and how it fits into our larger economic and security strategies.
On one level, a definition of cyberspace is easy: it is the end-user devices, processors, communication networks – both wired and wireless – applications, services, and digital data that is created, stored, used, and shared across the globe. However, cyber and cyberpower is more than that. We need a larger, historical context to understand cyber.
The cyber revolution is just the latest in a series of waves of “creative destruction” that arise when new technologies, organizational models, and process innovations converge to create new industries and new sources of economic, political, and military power. Understanding these waves allows us to better understand the role of government within each cycle in regards to enabling the economy, strengthening national security, and empowering society.
The goal today is cyberpower—mastering the revolutionary capabilities of information while keeping cyberspace secure. But what does a cyberpower strategy look like? What role should the government play in this type of strategy? Answers to these questions will drive decisions about critical issues such as cybersecurity, privacy, health records, broadband access, net neutrality, and smart energy grids.
Booz Allen Hamilton’s viewpoint, “The Road to Cyberpower: Seizing Opportunity While Managing Risk in the Digital Age,” addresses these questions and introduces a broader context for the cyber dialogue.
America’s leaders are investing heavily in programs to increase productivity, improve services, and promote economic growth. But Booz Allen knows that technology alone is not the answer. “The Road to Cyberpower” suggests a more beneficial outcome by combining cyber investments with a comprehensive approach, including policy and governance; leadership and culture; standards and technology; planning and operations; and management and budgeting.
In fact, similar patterns of development in the adaptation of technologies or infrastructures can be identified from previous eras. These patterns provide a strategic framework that can guide today’s policymakers as cyber matures.
In the past, nations that harnessed new technologies and built new industries became prosperous, powerful leaders on the international stage, transforming their economies and enriching society. Cyber technologies hold the same promise. “The Road to Cyberpower” shows how history’s insights can help us capitalize on cyber’s opportunities to gain a sustained competitive advantage.
Booz Allen Sr. Executive Advisor Patrick Gorman contributed to “The Road to Cyberpower: Seizing Opportunity While Managing Risk in the Digital Age.”
study posted February 11, 2010
