Cyberspace and the State: Towards a Strategy for Cyberpower

by David J. Betz, Timothy C. Stevens

The major aim of Cyberspace and the State is to provide conceptual orientation on the new strategic environment of the Information Age. It seeks to restore the equilibrium of policy-makers which has been disturbed by recent cyber scares, as well as to bring clarity to academic debate on the subject particularly in the fields of politics and international relations, war and strategic studies. Its main chapters explore the impact of cyberspace upon the most central aspects of statehood and the state system―power, sovereignty, war, and dominion. It is concerned equally with practice as with theory and may be read in that sense as having two halves.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Nate Huston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a good overview of the complex issues faced when dealing with cyberspace and, in particular, developing a national-level strategy to operate by, with, and through it. The authors believe strongly that while "cyberspace alters much...it does not change everything and it changes things in the military sphere...considerably less than has been supposed." (p. 12) The bottom line here is that cyber in and of itself does not obviate the need for strategy. While this is true, it seems to me to be a bit obvious to all but the most die-hard of cyber prophets.

In search of a way to examine and move toward a strategy (point of note: seems to me that everyone in the cyber-writing business is merely looking to move toward something. This says a lot about the complexity of the issues). The define compulsory cyber-power (use of direct coercion in cyberspace), institutional cyber-power (indirect control of cyberspace through mediation of formal and informal institutions - pretty much like any other institutional interaction), structural cyber-power (permit and constrain actions in cyberspace through control of structures, in this case referring to networks of individuals and nodes of influence), and productive cyber-power (constructing social beings or groups through cyberspace, i.e. a state identifying certain actors as threats to national security in order to treat them as legitimate targets of other forms of state power).

Overall, OK, but left me wanting something more concrete.

[Frank Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, to the point primer on the issue of cybersecurity and the role of the state. The cyberworld is without borders yet directly impacts the basic functions of the state -- a tension that needs to be worked out and better understood by US lawmakers and policymakers. This short little book helps get you there.

[Knarik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attention is the gold of the Information Age; how to get it is the obsession of those who
seek power.