Author Brian Russell discusses cyberspace's role in maneuver warfare, the challenges of decision making and leadership, closing the cyber gap for US military forces, the importance of partnerships in national security, and effective organizations in the DevSecOps world.
Integrating cyber mission force and expeditionary cyber forces through a joint warfighting architecture enables effective offensive cyber operations and access to targets.
Building a malleable cyber platform with DevSecOps principles and utilizing AI can enhance decision-making and scaling capabilities in the cyber domain.
Deep dives
Closing the Gap in the Cyber Domain
The podcast episode discusses the need to bridge the gap in the cyber domain between the cyber mission force and expeditionary cyber forces. By integrating these forces and developing a joint cyber warfighting architecture, the joint force can effectively operate in the cyber domain and gain access to targets for offensive cyber operations. The episode highlights examples of how these forces have worked together in real-world exercises to enable mission success.
Building a Malleable Cyber Platform
The episode emphasizes the importance of building a cyber platform that is inherently malleable and can adapt to emerging mission requirements. This involves incorporating the principles of DevSecOps and enabling software developers to rapidly update and enhance the platform. The use of AI is also discussed as a valuable tool for improving decision-making and scaling capabilities in the cyber domain.
Managing Risk in Offensive Cyber Operations
The episode explores the challenge of managing risk in offensive cyber operations. It highlights the need for better assessment of the effectiveness of cyber weapons and the associated risk of employing them. This would enable commanders to make informed decisions about their use in a timely manner. The discussion also touches on the importance of partnerships with allies and industry to enhance cyber capabilities.
The Future of Cyber Fires and Civil-Military Fusion
The episode delves into the concept of cyber fires and the role of civil-military fusion in cyber operations. It discusses the need for closer integration between military and civilian cyber capabilities, as well as the importance of leveraging AI technologies in the cyber domain. The episode also emphasizes the need to enhance talent management and build a strong cyber auxiliary to support cyber forces in their mission.
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.
Research Question: Brian Russell asks the following: how to assess the effectiveness and risk of employing AI generated cyber weapons: AI on the AI so to speak. There are two resources:
Guest Bio: Brian Russell is the founder of Information Advantage and a Key Terrain Cyber Senior Fellow. He is a retired Marine Corps artillery officer, with previous assignments as the commanding officer of II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (II MIG) and 1st ANGLICO. His combat deployments include serving as the Military Transition Team Leader in Habbaniyah, Iraq, the executive officer of Brigade Headquarters Group in Helmand Province, Afghanistan and Plans Director in Bagram, Afghanistan. Some of his notable staff assignments include: Operations Directorate at Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Operations Directorate at United States Cyber Command, and U.S. Plans Directorate at Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. He recently joined Peraton as a Cyber and Information Warfare subject matter expert.
About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.
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