Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn unveiled the Pentagon’s first-ever cyberspace strategy Thursday during an event on the National Defense University campus in Washington, D.C. “The cyber environment we face is dynamic. As such, our strategy must be dynamic as well. So while today is an important milestone, it is only one part of the department’s efforts to learn and adjust through time,” said Lynn. Although it’s not yet clear exactly what role cyber will play in 21st century warfare, he said it’s clear that “bits and bytes can be as threatening as bullets and bombs.” The new strategy, which comes on the heels of the White House’s own cyberspace policy, has five pillars: treating cyberspace as an operational domain; employing new concepts to protect DOD networks; partnering with other US agencies; building relationships with allies, and leveraging an exceptional cyber workforce and rapid technological innovation. (Cyberspace strategy full document; caution, large-sized file.)
Unlike nearly every other innovative technology throughout history, Maj. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt believes the space enterprise emerged backward. “Every other domain started with an entrepreneur who built something,” Burt, the special assistant to the Chief of Space Operations, told an audience at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.