New Analysis Finds U.S. Unprepared for Persistent Cyber Conflict
Vanderbilt Institute of National Security has released a new report calling for the United States to pursue a comprehensive “digital dominance” strategy to address escalating cyber threats and competition in cyberspace.
The special report argues that adversaries are increasingly exploiting cyberspace to target critical infrastructure and elements of national power, while operating below the threshold of armed conflict. According to the analysis, traditional approaches to cyber deterrence have not prevented this activity, prompting the need for a broader, “whole-of-society approach that spans government, industry and civil society.
Titled “Dominating the Digital Space: A Whole-of-Society Strategy for Securing the United States from Cyber Aggression,” the report contends that U.S. security and competitiveness now depend on achieving digital dominance across public and private sectors. It states that cybersecurity has evolved beyond a specialized technical discipline and has become a foundational component of economic strength, military readiness and geopolitical leadership.
The report was co-authored by retired Lt. Gen. Charles L. “Tuna” Moore Jr., former deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Brett Goldstein, a research professor of engineering and special advisor to the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University. The authors outline a framework focused on analytic superiority, integrated resilience for critical infrastructure, persistent cyber operations and the full integration of artificial intelligence into cyber defense and offense.
Among its recommendations, the report calls for prioritizing protection of the most essential infrastructure sectors, treating foreign cyber pre-positioning as a national security threat, expanding continuous cyber campaigning and strengthening operational partnerships between government and the private sector.
Moore brings more than three decades of national security and operational experience to the report, including prior service as deputy commander and director of operations for U.S. Cyber Command and senior roles on the Joint Staff. Goldstein contributes more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, data and national security, including previous roles leading the Defense Digital Service and serving as Chicago’s chief data officer and chief information officer.
The report builds on recent public research and policy initiatives from the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security addressing cyber conflict, information operations and emerging digital threats. Moore and Goldstein are available for interviews and background briefings.
The report can be downloaded from the Institutes’ Wicked Problems Lab here.