Cyber C2: Achieving Scrutability and Agency in Cyberspace Operations

TL;DR

The nature of cyberspace, command and control (C2), and the challenges for cyber C2 are explored, with treatment to follow in future work.

Abstract

Our thesis is that operating in cyberspace is challenging because cyberspace exhibits extreme variety, high malleability, and extreme velocity. These properties make cyberspace largely inscrutable and limits one's agency in cyberspace, where agency is the ability to exert influence to transform the state or behaviour of the environment. With this thesis, we explore the nature of cyberspace, command and control (C2), and diagnose the challenges for cyber C2, with treatment to follow in future work.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: The UK Cyber Primer's six layers of cyberspace cyberprimer
• Figure 2: The Spectrum of Operational Environments (from alberts2006understanding)
• Figure 3: The Spectrum of C2 Frameworks (from alberts2006understanding)
• Figure 4: Variety, malleability and velocity induce challenges for the C2 of cyberpsace operations.