In 1965 two researchers connected computers over telephone lines, giving birth to the internet and ultimately cyberspace. Since its conception cyberspace has become fundamental to the American way of life and has progressively asserted itself into warfare. This reliance on cyberspace in everyday life and military technology provides opportunities for exploitation. Adversaries, such as Russia, play an active role in the development of cyber warfare theories and their application in conflicts around the world. The US military struggles to integrate cyber warfare into conventional military operations while Russia employs it within its information warfare branch. The rapidity of change within cyberspace requires that the US military develop and employ cyber warfare within its doctrine, or risk losing its asymmetric advantage over adversaries. This monograph focuses on this problem by analyzing incidents of cyber warfare and contributing factors. Because computers are becoming an increasingly important part of everyday life, they will achieve an increasing role in warfare moving forward. The analyzed cases demonstrate the evolution of cyber warfare and its increasing integration into military operations. The ability to look at historical cases, identify the forward evolutional trends, and adopt them is critical to maintaining relevancy and advantage in the world.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)