DoD Announces Cyberspace Strategy

The growing importance of cyberspace in our everyday lives was highlighted when the Department of Defense (DoD) unveiled its first strategy for operating in cyberspace. The opening phrase, “Cyberspace is a defining feature of modern life,” ties together the military, economic and social aspects of cyberspace in this new roadmap.

During his announcement of this new strategy on July 14, 2011, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said “… the centrality of information technology to our military operations and our society virtually guarantees that future adversaries will target our dependence on it.” The new document is a roadmap for DoD activities based on “five strategic initiatives:”

• Treat cyberspace as an operational domain to organize, train and equip so that DoD can take full advantage of cyberspace’s potential
• Employ new defense operating concepts to protect DoD networks and systems 
• Partner with other U.S. government departments and agencies and the private sector to enable a whole-of-government cybersecurity strategy
• Build robust relationships with U.S. allies and international partners to strengthen collective cybersecurity
• Leverage the nation’s ingenuity through an exceptional cyber workforce and rapid technological innovation

The impact of this strategy on the space industry could be significant. Cyberspace is key to space operations. It enables telemetry, communications and command and control of space-based assets. This strategy is an important step in protecting the ground-based and space-based assets of military space and will certainly influence other space ventures.

The Space Foundation’s cyber initiatives program brings together military customers and industry partners to develop ideas that will support this strategy. The Space Foundation is also working with international partners to increase cooperation with the DoD and U.S. government for this strategy and the International Strategy for Cyberspace, which was announced in May, 2011.

The complete DoD strategy can be found at www.defense.gov/news/d20110714cyber.pdf. 

Pictured: Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III

This article is part of Space Watch: August 2011 (Volume: 10, Issue: 8).