Deter, Disrupt, or Deceive: Assessing Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest

The concept of "cyber war" may distort our understanding of statecraft in the cyber domain. Robert Chesney and Max Smeets argue that reframing cyber competition as an intelligence contest will improve our ability to analyze and strategize about cyber events and policy. The book explores this intelligence concept across various areas of cyber security policy and in different national contexts, offering a unique dialogue among leading experts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 318 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2023
Publisher: Georgetown University Press

The concept of "cyber war" has dominated academic and popular discourse on statecraft in the cyber domain, often emphasizing the expectation of death and destruction. However, this lens may distort our understanding of cyber competition and conflict. Are cyber activities more akin to an intelligence contest, where states and nonstate actors compete for information advantage below the threshold of war? In Deter, Disrupt, or Deceive, Robert Chesney and Max Smeets argue that reframing cyber competition as an intelligence contest can enhance our ability to analyze and strategize about cyber events and policy.

The contributors to this volume engage in a lively debate about the logics and implications of this reframing, examining the intelligence concept across various areas of cyber security policy and in different national contexts. Taken together, the chapters provide a unique dialogue that illustrates areas of agreement and disagreement among leading experts and places them in conversation with the broader fields of international relations and intelligence studies.

Deter, Disrupt, or Deceive is a must-read for scholars, practitioners, and students seeking to understand statecraft in the cyber domain. It offers a fresh perspective that challenges traditional notions of war and conflict, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamics of cyber competition and conflict.

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647123260