Cyberwarfare: An Introduction to Information-Age Conflict

by Isaac R. Porche III (Author)

Conflict in cyberspace is becoming more prevalent in all public and private sectors and is of concern on many levels. As a result, knowledge of the topic is becoming essential across most disciplines. This book reviews and explains the technologies that underlie offensive and defensive cyber operations, which are practiced by a range of cyber actors including state actors, criminal enterprises, activists, and individuals. It explains the processes and technologies that enable the full spectrum of cyber operations. Readers will learn how to use basic tools for cyber security and pen-testing, and also be able to quantitatively assess cyber risk to systems and environments and discern and categorize malicious activity.

The book provides key concepts of information age conflict technical basics/fundamentals needed to understand more specific remedies and activities associated with all aspects of cyber operations. It explains techniques associated with offensive cyber operations, with careful distinctions made between cyber ISR, cyber exploitation, and cyber attack. It explores defensive cyber operations and includes case studies that provide practical information, making this book useful for both novice and advanced information warfare practitioners

Review
Cyberwarfare: An Introduction to Information-Age Conflict, is a must-read for anyone concerned with the evolving nature of superpower warfare through cyber operations and the resulting national security issues that will be of concern to our society. In this book, Isaac Porche educates the reader on the technical foundations of cyber systems, how they work, and why these systems have vulnerabilities. Surprisingly, the book relates the technical foundations to U.S. privacy laws and policy. Most importantly, the book addresses a very timely issue, the potential cyber vulnerabilities of the 2020 election process. This issue alone will be of value to the interested reader. –John Parmentola, RAND Corporation

Isaac Porche has long been a leading thinker and technologist on cyber security and cyberwarfare. In this book he has put decades of research and teaching experience into a one-of-a-kind volume that will be a critical resource for practitioners, researchers, and students. Many come to this field well versed in some element of cyberwar, whether that be in the technical, operational, or policy aspects of it. Very few come with the full set of tools needed to lead and compete well in all lanes. This book will not only help beginners understand the breadth and complexity of the topic, but also get those who come to the field with one set of skills oriented on those areas where they are not expert and provide references for further advancement in all lanes. This is the type of volume I wish I had when I started work in this field in the mid-1990s. –Terrence K. Kelly, Ph.D., Vice President and Director, Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, RAND Corporation

Conflict in cyberspace is becoming more prevalent in all public and private sectors and is of concern on many levels. As a result, knowledge of the topic is becoming essential across most disciplines. This book reviews and explains the technologies that underlie offensive and defensive cyber operations, which are practiced by a range of cyber actors including state actors, criminal enterprises, activists, and individuals. It explains the processes and technologies that enable the full spectrum of cyber operations. Readers will learn how to use basic tools for cyber security and pen-testing, and also be able to quantitatively assess cyber risk to systems and environments and discern and categorize malicious activity. –Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Isaac R. Porche III is a chief engineer at a large defense contractor. He was formerly a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, where he served as the Director of the Acquisition and Development Program in the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. He is a former member of the U.S. Army Science Board and is currently an adjunct instructor for Carnegie Mellon University s Institute for Politics and Strategy. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from The University of Michigan. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.