Cyberwarfare and Our Allies: The Importance of Theater Security Cooperation

Abstract

The cyber attacks on the countries of Estonia and Georgia have galvanized the realization that state and non-state actors will exploit vulnerabilities in the information environment to influence national leadership and their critical command and control capabilities. This has serious implications across the globe, and specifically within the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of operations. Russia’s future use, either state sponsored or through proxies, of cyber attacks to influence NATO Allied domestic decisions regarding energy, missile defense, and security should be expected. The Commander, U.S. EUCOM, is faced with a complex issue, which has the potential to threaten all instruments of national power. This paper will apply the elements of operational art, specifically operational factors and functions, to illustrate why EUCOM must integrate combating cyberwarfare in its theater security cooperation efforts to better prepare NATO Allies for a cyber attack. It delves into the complexity of the cyberwarfare security issue and identifies the need to mitigate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, advocating the need for enhanced security cooperation efforts. Finally, the paper provides a recommended security cooperation framework to establish priority and unity of effort across the many disparate organizations involved in addressing this complex security issue.