The Role of Cybersecurity Within State Security
a comparison
U.S. President Joe Biden recently hosted a wide swath of private industry leaders to discuss a growing, but sadly no longer emerging trend of cybersecurity threats posing the nation. While the focus was on the most recent trend of ransomware attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure, the summit of American business leaders discussed investment opportunities, workforce development, insurance policy, and most importantly education. This meeting between the senior most executive office in the U.S. and a wide array of tech, finance, and energy sector leaders was a voluntary attempt, an appeal to not just meet, but to surpass federal code in order to meet the rising challenges of the next decade. [1]
“…contrasts to American acts of voluntarism by a dictate of authoritarianism”
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated its 100th anniversary in July where the propaganda drumbeat was ever clear. Society in mainland China were reminded over the air, on TV, via the internet, and all venues how to “vigorously carry forward the Red tradition” as well as report “historical nihilists” to authorities. While Xi Jingping and the CCP may wield the power to leverage the tool of technology, history has shown us that society will ultimately reject being used as a “social science experiment.” [2] The CCP has a different use for technology domestically in China than as compared to the U.S. Not under the same constant struggle, not under the barrage of same scale and magnitude of state-sponsored attacks, CCP leadership directs their technology to surveil and serve as a primary tool to govern. It also contrasts to American acts of voluntarism by a dictate of authoritarianism.
A multipolar world order has returned to an extent not seen since 1908. We have returned to an era of activities former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union George Kennan famously dubbed “Measures Short of War.” Kennan wrote in what is now know as the “Long Telegram” in 1946 a lasting reflection of Soviet motivations, behavior, and constant hostilities. We are now re-entering a time of hot-peace, a Cold War 2.0 as some have term it, that puts subversion in the fore, each nation seeking to undermine its competitors from within. [3] Given the growth of technology, and the documented use of it during the last geopolitical subversive competition should we expect to see more? The use of technology can be arming and disarming, but before we fire our first shots we must know the shot. The future is bright which means the shadows are dark.
[1] D. V. and D. Uberti, “Biden Says Cybersecurity Is the ‘Core National Security Challenge’ at CEO Summit,” Wall Street Journal, Aug. 25, 2021. Accessed: Aug. 26, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-hold-cybersecurity-summit-with-tech-giants-top-banks-energy-firms-11629882002
[2] O. S. July/August 2021, “Life of the Party,” Jul. 13, 2021. Accessed: Aug. 26, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2021-06-22/life-party
[3] W. C. Wohlforth and J. Kastner, “A Measure Short of War,” Jun. 28, 2021. Accessed: Aug. 26, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2021-06-22/measure-short-war
