A few days ago a Google Alert on my name let me know that I was referenced in a paper from RAND. I have high appreciation for RAND's work, so naturally I went to look.
The work by one Martin Libicki discusses cyber war and cyber deterrence. He is against the silly notion, much like I am.
I've grown so tired of repeating "these discussions the past two years in US defense circles are just ... stupid." I am happy that someone else, as articulate as Libicki, joined our side of the debate. Just because US experts are so used to deterrence as a strategy after 70 years, does not mean it fits the bill with the Internet. In fact, it is extreme folly.
I don't agree with everything Libicki says, but I do agree with him on this matter.
However...
Unlike many, I believe offensive capabilities are critical for any nation nowadays, but that thinking it would assist in defense is delusional.
Libicki's actual RAND paper can be found here:
www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG877.pdf
Maybe now I can finally write a paper I want to write, on when deterrence actually does work on the Internet. There are cases where it does, but raising these before now would have muddied the water.
I also plan to be more vocal in the debate in the coming months, and pull out of the drawer some articles I wrote on the subject, for when it warms up and they can make a difference.
Gadi Evron,
ge@linuxbox.org.
Follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/gadievron
