The United States Department of Defense (DOD) published an unclassified summary of the year’s classified cyber strategy.
Titled the 2023 Cyber Strategy, this summary detailed collaboration, joint efforts, common and most active threat actors, and a dedicated approach to defend the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The 2023 Department of Defense Cyber Strategy builds upon the foundations laid by the 2022 National Security Strategy, the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS), and the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy.
Details of the 2023 Cyber Strategy by the DOD
The 2023 Cyber Strategy by the US Department of Defense underlined mechanisms to defend the nation from the emerging and growing threat contesting the security of the people of America.
Highlighting the importance of a collective effort, DOD’s 2023 Cyber Strategy summary stated, “The Department’s experiences have shown that cyber capabilities held in reserve or employed in isolation render little deterrent effect on their own.”
“Instead, these military capabilities are most effective when used in concert with other instruments of national power, creating a deterrent greater than the sum of its parts,” it further added.
The Department will be aggressively moving forward in its cyberspace operations to disrupt cybercriminal activities.
This will be in collaboration with the U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), and global allies and partners with whom the state has diplomatic and defense relationships. This will be attuned to fostering a community of cyber-capable nations.
Cybersecurity Threat to U.S. Highlighted in the 2023 Cyber Strategy
“As the Department’s cyber capabilities evolve, so do those of our adversaries,” read the summary aptly highlighting the ever-evolving threat landscape. It named the offensive online threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russian cybercriminals.
Addressing the malicious maneuvers of the PRC, the 2023 Cyber Strategy read, “The PRC in particular sees superiority in cyberspace as core to its theories of victory…”
The U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB) has been subjected to cyberespionage, theft, compromise of defense networks, and other threats in the hands of the PRC.
Other named adversaries were those from Russia who have been found to be negatively influencing trust and confidence in the US elections.
Addressing the global threat posed by Russian adversaries, the 2023 Cyber Strategy read that in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia’s military and intelligence have threatened with kinetic operations and a global propaganda campaign.
North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations have also launched cyber attacks on US infrastructure. The 2023 Cyber Strategy aims to handle espionage, cryptocurrency scams, and ransomware attacks by North Korean agents.
Furthermore, the effort will center around stopping espionage by cybercriminals from Iran, transnational criminal organizations, ransomware groups, state-sponsored cyber mercenaries, and hacktivists.
The 2023 Cyber Strategy’s ‘Lines of Effort’
To curb threats and safeguard the US and allied networks and infrastructure, specific plans have been marked in the 2023 Cyber Strategy. The lines of action include:
- Defend the Nation by collaborating with interagency partners.
- Advance Joint Force objectives along with the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN).
- Expansion of potential cyber cooperation with hunt-forward operations and bilateral technical collaborations with the allies and partners in cyberspace.
- Optimize training and equipping of the Cyberspace Operations Forces and Service-retained cyber forces.
Collaborative Efforts to Safeguard Cybersecurity for U.S. and Its Allies
The 2023 Cyber Strategy states, “We will foster a culture of cybersecurity and cyber awareness, investing in the education, training, and knowledge development of personnel across the defense enterprise.
Further adding, “As cyber threats grow and intensify, every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, guardian, coast guardsman, DoD civilian, and contractor is responsible for exercising cyber awareness and helping to manage the risk of the Department.”
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