Challenges today and tomorrow: the conundrum of rapidly evolving threats, and speed to deploy/execute evolving solutions in cyber security and cyber warfare.
Francis A. “Skip” Hiser, III
We typically talk about evolving threats from adversaries and malicious actors, but there’s a variety of non-technical challenges that directly impact the success of cyber security and cyber warfare. Research and experimentation, programmatic processes including cost, schedule and performance and delivering required capabilities at time of need are critical to ensuring a secure cyber domain. Policy, politics, public sector and social media influence also play important roles. Solutions must be relevant, integrated, interoperable and connected to guarantee superiority among joint, allied and inter-agency partners, including across the war fighting domains of space, cyber and information warfare. Academia, the industrial base and national infrastructure are critical assets that must be included in any solution set. Additionally, new technologies such as Zero Trust, Blockchain, Robotics and AI can exponentially expand threat vectors in the cyber landscape and present additional challenges that pressurize future defense and warfighting decision space
Jeffrey Reynolds
The global scene: curity environment is undergoing a fundamental shift, particularly with the rise of an authoritarian bloc seeking to counter the West. In response, NATO continues to adapt, balancing strategic deterrence with internal cohesion, improved interoperability, and capability development to meet the evolving nature of modern threats. One of the most significant developments in today’s warfare is the emergence of the multi-domain battlespace, where conflicts are no longer confined to land, sea, and air but extend into cyber, space, and the information sphere. Cyber capabilities have become central to national security, serving both as offensive weapons and defensive systems against state and non-state actors. As the digital technology integrates further into our daily lives, the front lines of modern conflict have shifted—from physical battlefields to the devices in our hands. Smartphones and social media platforms have become new instruments of influence, disinformation, and psychological operations, making individuals both participants in and targets of geopolitical struggles.