Strategic Information Warfare Rising

Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. xxv, [1], 82 p. Illustrations. (Figures and Tables). Strategic Information Warfare (SIW) lies at the intersection of the information revolution and the ongoing revolution in strategic warfare. Our reliance on information systems may present an attractive target to potential post-Cold War adversaries. This could lead to attacks on critical information-dependent infrastructures, such as electric power, telecommunications, and transportation that would threaten both our economic security and our military strategy. The goal of this project was to formulate a common DoD strategy and policy framework for addressing the challenge of strategic information warfare. Our result appears to offer a useful means of organizing thinking about the emerging SIW problem and achieving an inaugural action plan. It should therefore contribute to the ongoing effort to identify current U.S. SIW-related issues on which decisions need to be made and the appropriate forum(s). This framework and process, though oriented to U.S. national decisionmaking, should also contribute to preparations for the imperative, and even more challenging, international decisionmaking process on this subject. This report summarizes research performed by RAND for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence) in response to a request. The objective of this effort was to derive a framework for policy and strategy decisionmaking on problems raised by the emerging potential of Strategic Information Warfare. From Wikipedia: "Roger Carl Molander (November 30, 1940 March 25, 2012) was an American government official and activist. Born in Perham, Minnesota, Molander grew up in Marinette, Wisconsin. He graduated from University of Wisconsin Madison and received his doctorate degree from University of California, Berkeley. Molander was an aide to Paul Nitze and worked with the United States National Security Council. In 1981, Molander left government service and formed Ground Zero, an advocacy and educational group to provide information about nuclear disarmament. Molander died in Washington, D.C.". …