Theory of Cyberwar

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor, Undergraduate

This course is designed so that you can begin to develop your own theoretical approach for discussing cyber warfare. We will explore the characteristics and attributes of cyberspace, identify activities you can do in cyberspace, and encourage critical thinking to help evaluate the extent of the dangers, challenges, and opportunities associated with using cyberspace to achieve political objectives. My goal is for you to gain a foundational understanding of cyber power so that you can critically assess the current political debate on how cyberspace should be used to achieve national political objectives. We start by developing a general description of cyberspace—where it is and what we do there. We will then examine war and warfare and try to identify some principles and concepts that can help us describe the use of cyber as form of state power. The course is taught primarily from a U.S. perspective but is intended to establish fundamentals that apply to cyber warfare generally and will consider the influences of culture and other factors.