Generals in cyberspace: Military insights for defending cyberspace

Abstract

Recently, there have been calls for the United States to unleash the offensive power of cyberspace. Advocates contend that offense has the advantage in cyberspace. This article argues that cyberspace does not favor the offensive at either the tactical or the strategic level. In fact, a defensive doctrine has clear advantages over an offensive one. Support for this argument can be found in two unexpected sources: official statements of U.S. Army doctrine and Carl von Clausewitz’s On War. This is surprising, given that scholars consider both the U.S. Army and Clausewitz diehard apostles of the cult of the offensive. This essay seeks to import their insights about the advantages of the defense into the virtual realm. When read carefully, U.S. Army doctrine and Clausewitz’s classic text support the claim that defense is the stronger approach in the cyber realm.