Customer Reviews

Cyberwar, Netwar and the Revolution in Military Affairs (part 1)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In one of the chapters, its author refers to the postmodern condition. While this sounds like something out of the latest literary theory, it is also an apt label for the book's topic. Namely, what is cyberwar and what are the new issues it raises? The book is not solely about software, you should note. One chapter harks back to the depths of the Cold War, discussing the US command and control policies regardings its nuclear weapons. Here, the fear has always been of a decapitation strike (coup de main). With case studies of when Reagan was shot in 1981 and the terrorist attacks against Washington in 2001. The lesson of that chapter is that manual procedures are still very necessary, but can be error prone.

Other chapters talk about the critical infrastructures that might be attacked. Including energy, banks, and the communications grid. The vulnerabilities of each are cursorily looked at. Actually, all the chapters have the property that they seem too short. Within the space constraints of the book, they are really just summaries/briefings of far more comprehensive discussions.