Trends in Cyber Operations: An Introduction

Abstract

In the wake of several historical data breaches in the United States, in early 2015, the White House announced a new series of legislative proposals aimed at securing cyberspace and issued cybersecurity guidance to government agencies and the private sector (The White House 2015). Through this legislative exercise, the federal government wanted to address three priorities: (1) enable cybersecurity information sharing across private organizations and government agencies; (2) modernize law enforcement capabilities to conduct cyber investigations; and (3) establish a nation data breach reporting protocol for businesses that have experienced an intrusion during which personal information has been exposed. Through their implementation, these legislative measures will result in the deployment of both defensive and offensive strategic cyber operations by the government and private industry.