Summary: So many posts here describe how we are losing. Since we've forgotten, I'm reposting explanations of why and how we are losing -- and how we can win in the age when 4th generation warfare (4GW) is the dominant mode of war. Step one: adopt a rational grand strategy. The original version was posted in … Continue reading Let’s try a defensive strategy in America’s wars, and win.
Summary: The US government appears to assume that -- as with nuclear war -- "the best defense is a strong offense" Cybersecurity expert Emilio Iasiello asks if this makes sense with cybersecurity, given the difficulty of identifying the attacker (attribution) and striking back at them (often amorphous non-state actors). Complacency in Cyberspace May Be Our Biggest … Continue reading Is the best defense a strong offense in cybersecurity?
Summary: The West's post-9/11 wars in the Middle East have run down, but our involvement in Syria's civil war and the attacks by radical Islamists in American -- and the far larger Paris attacks -- have begun a new phase in this clash of civilizations. Before we attack, repeating the mistakes of the past 15 … Continue reading Will we repeat our mistakes in the Middle East & lose, or play defense & win?
Summary: We cannot escape history. It offers lessons to guide us. It's deployed as propaganda to mislead us. Successful strategy requires distinguishing between the two. Our long war, so far a series of defeats, provides examples of both. We can do better in the future if only we'd pay attention. "As we shall show, defense … Continue reading The Cult of the offense returns: why we’re losing the long war, & how to win
Summary: Why defense experts obsess about the relative advantages of different military hardware (e.g., the A-10 vs the F-35), the US has unleashed the tools of cyberwar on Iran. We can expect more in the future, begun by friends and foes. So let's learn the rules. Today Marcus Ranum explains the nature of attack and … Continue reading The Best Defense Is a Strong Defense. Never Fight a Land War in Cyberspace.