How Power-Laws Re-Write The Rules Of Cyber Warfare

Abstract

All warfare contains and element of randomness. This article will argue that, the kind uncertainty encountered in cyber warfare (Power-Law randomness) is fundamentally different from the uncertainty the military has evolved to deal with in the physical world (Gaussian-Randomness). The article will explain the difference between these two kinds of randomness, and how cyber weapons appear to operate under Power-Law randomness. It then will show how in cyberspace, key aspects of strategic thought are based on a flaws assumption of randomness. Finally, this article shall argue that if the American military is going to be effective in cyberspace, it must re-examine the way the military assumes risk, recruits is forces, plans for war and maintains the peace.

Keywords

• Cybersecurity
• Information operations
• Science and technology & security
• Security policy