Hacking, espionage, and deterrence: Understanding cyber conflict

The more we treat cyberspace as a realm of cooperation—for economic exchange, communication, diplomacy, and so much else—the more vulnerable we are to cyber ills, like espionage and subversion. Our expert panel explores this paradox and pinpoints the real cyber threats to America today.

Does today’s cyber domain offer new avenues for war and destruction or variants of old problems like spying, theft, and misinformation? Does it aid offense—attackers, hackers, and deceivers—or allow for new means of defense? Are cyberattacks a gateway to larger troubles, like wars, or limited means employed because war is deterred? Should policymakers think about cyber as a novel realm of warfare or an adjunct to the familiar categories best handled within traditional organizational structures?

To address these questions and assess the current cybersecurity policy landscape, join a conversation with leading scholars and practitioners at the forefront of cybersecurity and international security: Jon Lindsay, professor at Georgia Tech and author of The Age of Deception: Cybersecurity as Secret Statecraft; Carole House of Penumbra Strategies; and Allan Friedman, former senior technical advisor and strategist.