Appearances in cyberspace are deceptive and problematic. Deception in the cyber domain poses an i... more Appearances in cyberspace are deceptive and problematic. Deception in the cyber domain poses an immensely di cult challenge for states to di erentiate between espionage activities in cyberspace and cyber attacks. The inability to distinguish between cyber activities places US cyber infrastructure in a perilous position and increases the possibility of a disproportionate or inadequate response to cyber incidents. This paper uses case analysis to examine the characteristics associated with the tools and decisions related to cyber espionage and cyber attacks to develop a framework for distinction leveraging epidemiological models for combating disease.
Winning wars in cyberspace might sound easy: the click of a mouse or the press of the enter key o... more Winning wars in cyberspace might sound easy: the click of a mouse or the press of the enter key on a keyboard. Yet, the web of networks that constitutes cyberspace is imbued with challenges. Seemingly every day there is a new story of a government, business, or individual, suffering from a serious hack. These hacks are often attributed to state ac- tors or transnational criminal organizations. Combined, the almost daily revelations of serious incidents compound a common misperception that cyberspace is an ungoverned space. The reality of cyberspace, however, is far different and constitutes a complex en- vironment of overlapping jurisdictions. The overlapping geographic, legal, and technical boundaries affect everything from the freedom of information to the decision to engage in military operations. Technical speci cations as well as laws and policies established by local and national governments, international institutions, non-governmental orga- nizations, and corporations form the decision-making framework for national policy- makers and military commanders. Understanding how all the elements of cyberspace interact provides context for when, why and how the United States engages in military operations in cyberspace. This paper examines the complexities of the environment and their impact on the decisions of states (with emphasis placed on the United States) to engage in offensive cyber operations, cyber exploitation,1 and defensive cyber operations against other states and non-state actors. Moreover, it examines the important role that overlapping governmental and non-governmental organizations have in affecting the types of behaviors that occur within cyberspace.2
—The emergence of single board computers (SBCs) has enabled individuals cheap and portable access... more —The emergence of single board computers (SBCs) has enabled individuals cheap and portable access to multi-core architectures. In this paper, we discuss the use of SBC clusters to assist in cyberspace operations. The small form-factor of SBCs make them highly portable, allowing soldiers to easily transport individual units and clusters. While each individual SBC is not very powerful, a cluster of SBCs can greatly increase the computational power available for cyberspace applications down range for relatively low cost. We discuss common SBC architectures and present a case study in which two clusters of SBCs are used to crack canonically " weak " passwords encoded with bcrypt. Our results show that an 8-node Parallella SBC cluster can crack password files up to 5.95 times faster than a high end laptop, at roughly half the cost. We also present several novel applications for offensive and defensive cyberspace operations using SBCs and SBC clusters. We believe that our work can be used to develop novel parallel military applications incorporating SBCs, and is useful for educating soldiers and end-users about the potentials (and dangers) of parallel processing.
The importance of the internet to contemporary jihadists as a tool for recruitment, propaganda an... more The importance of the internet to contemporary jihadists as a tool for recruitment, propaganda and operational planning is well established.1 Less thoroughly studied are the ways in which jihadists work to keep this activity secure from monitoring and disruption, and in particular the ways in which they innovate and adapt to changes in the technological environment.2
The digital era has placed most of humanity’s knowledge within a few clicks of a computer mouse o... more The digital era has placed most of humanity’s knowledge within a few clicks of a computer mouse or the touches of a smart phone screen. Yet in an age where knowledge is so readily available it is also seemingly elusive. Reality hides behind oceans of information streamed from innumerable sources competing for a single moment of attention. But disinformation dangerously poisons that abundance of knowledge and begins a process of ideational inception, in which even the idea of reality is itself subverted.
National security cyber activities harm human rights and democracy activists. With increasing sta... more National security cyber activities harm human rights and democracy activists. With increasing state cyber capabilities comes heightened pressure on civil society and democracy activists. We often think of the cyber arms race from the perspective of states and corporations; however, the real losers are activists who seek to promote democ- racy, development, and human rights. This article examines how advances in national security activities have created a new spectrum of issues for activists not previously encountered, and posits a theory of externalities emanating from the cyber arms race.
The violence of bits and bytes is real. How can we conceive of violence in a digi- tal world? Do ... more The violence of bits and bytes is real. How can we conceive of violence in a digi- tal world? Do traditional definitions provide a reasonable means to understand the impact of violence emanating from cyberspace? This work examines the concept of violence at the state level and builds and argument that violence is not confined to pre-digital static definitions.
Covert action is as old as political man. The subversive manipulation of others is nothing new. I... more Covert action is as old as political man. The subversive manipulation of others is nothing new. It has been written about since Sun Tzu and Kautilya. People and nations have always sought the use of shadowy means to influence situations and events. Covert action is and has been a staple of the state system. A dark and nefarious tool often banished to philosophical and intellectual exile, covert action is in truth an oft-used method of achieving utility that is frequently overlooked by academics. Modern scholars contend that, for utility to be achieved, activities such as war and diplomacy must be conducted transparently. Examined here is the construction of utility for a subset of covert action: cyber attacks. Cyber attacks, as a functional tool of state, have the ability to influence the space between overt diplomacy and overt war. They have been and are currently being used to influence what James D. Fearon refers to as the ex-ante bargaining range of states.2 The manipulation of the bargaining range between states to achieve a more favorable ex-ante settlement that averts the potential for overt war is not limited to cyber attacks, however. Cyber attacks are just one tool among many that has risen in prominence in recent years.
Appearances in cyberspace are deceptive and problematic. Deception in the cyber domain poses an i... more Appearances in cyberspace are deceptive and problematic. Deception in the cyber domain poses an immensely di cult challenge for states to di erentiate between espionage activities in cyberspace and cyber attacks. The inability to distinguish between cyber activities places US cyber infrastructure in a perilous position and increases the possibility of a disproportionate or inadequate response to cyber incidents. This paper uses case analysis to examine the characteristics associated with the tools and decisions related to cyber espionage and cyber attacks to develop a framework for distinction leveraging epidemiological models for combating disease.
Winning wars in cyberspace might sound easy: the click of a mouse or the press of the enter key o... more Winning wars in cyberspace might sound easy: the click of a mouse or the press of the enter key on a keyboard. Yet, the web of networks that constitutes cyberspace is imbued with challenges. Seemingly every day there is a new story of a government, business, or individual, suffering from a serious hack. These hacks are often attributed to state ac- tors or transnational criminal organizations. Combined, the almost daily revelations of serious incidents compound a common misperception that cyberspace is an ungoverned space. The reality of cyberspace, however, is far different and constitutes a complex en- vironment of overlapping jurisdictions. The overlapping geographic, legal, and technical boundaries affect everything from the freedom of information to the decision to engage in military operations. Technical speci cations as well as laws and policies established by local and national governments, international institutions, non-governmental orga- nizations, and corporations form the decision-making framework for national policy- makers and military commanders. Understanding how all the elements of cyberspace interact provides context for when, why and how the United States engages in military operations in cyberspace. This paper examines the complexities of the environment and their impact on the decisions of states (with emphasis placed on the United States) to engage in offensive cyber operations, cyber exploitation,1 and defensive cyber operations against other states and non-state actors. Moreover, it examines the important role that overlapping governmental and non-governmental organizations have in affecting the types of behaviors that occur within cyberspace.2
—The emergence of single board computers (SBCs) has enabled individuals cheap and portable access... more —The emergence of single board computers (SBCs) has enabled individuals cheap and portable access to multi-core architectures. In this paper, we discuss the use of SBC clusters to assist in cyberspace operations. The small form-factor of SBCs make them highly portable, allowing soldiers to easily transport individual units and clusters. While each individual SBC is not very powerful, a cluster of SBCs can greatly increase the computational power available for cyberspace applications down range for relatively low cost. We discuss common SBC architectures and present a case study in which two clusters of SBCs are used to crack canonically " weak " passwords encoded with bcrypt. Our results show that an 8-node Parallella SBC cluster can crack password files up to 5.95 times faster than a high end laptop, at roughly half the cost. We also present several novel applications for offensive and defensive cyberspace operations using SBCs and SBC clusters. We believe that our work can be used to develop novel parallel military applications incorporating SBCs, and is useful for educating soldiers and end-users about the potentials (and dangers) of parallel processing.
The importance of the internet to contemporary jihadists as a tool for recruitment, propaganda an... more The importance of the internet to contemporary jihadists as a tool for recruitment, propaganda and operational planning is well established.1 Less thoroughly studied are the ways in which jihadists work to keep this activity secure from monitoring and disruption, and in particular the ways in which they innovate and adapt to changes in the technological environment.2
The digital era has placed most of humanity’s knowledge within a few clicks of a computer mouse o... more The digital era has placed most of humanity’s knowledge within a few clicks of a computer mouse or the touches of a smart phone screen. Yet in an age where knowledge is so readily available it is also seemingly elusive. Reality hides behind oceans of information streamed from innumerable sources competing for a single moment of attention. But disinformation dangerously poisons that abundance of knowledge and begins a process of ideational inception, in which even the idea of reality is itself subverted.
National security cyber activities harm human rights and democracy activists. With increasing sta... more National security cyber activities harm human rights and democracy activists. With increasing state cyber capabilities comes heightened pressure on civil society and democracy activists. We often think of the cyber arms race from the perspective of states and corporations; however, the real losers are activists who seek to promote democ- racy, development, and human rights. This article examines how advances in national security activities have created a new spectrum of issues for activists not previously encountered, and posits a theory of externalities emanating from the cyber arms race.
The violence of bits and bytes is real. How can we conceive of violence in a digi- tal world? Do ... more The violence of bits and bytes is real. How can we conceive of violence in a digi- tal world? Do traditional definitions provide a reasonable means to understand the impact of violence emanating from cyberspace? This work examines the concept of violence at the state level and builds and argument that violence is not confined to pre-digital static definitions.
Covert action is as old as political man. The subversive manipulation of others is nothing new. I... more Covert action is as old as political man. The subversive manipulation of others is nothing new. It has been written about since Sun Tzu and Kautilya. People and nations have always sought the use of shadowy means to influence situations and events. Covert action is and has been a staple of the state system. A dark and nefarious tool often banished to philosophical and intellectual exile, covert action is in truth an oft-used method of achieving utility that is frequently overlooked by academics. Modern scholars contend that, for utility to be achieved, activities such as war and diplomacy must be conducted transparently. Examined here is the construction of utility for a subset of covert action: cyber attacks. Cyber attacks, as a functional tool of state, have the ability to influence the space between overt diplomacy and overt war. They have been and are currently being used to influence what James D. Fearon refers to as the ex-ante bargaining range of states.2 The manipulation of the bargaining range between states to achieve a more favorable ex-ante settlement that averts the potential for overt war is not limited to cyber attacks, however. Cyber attacks are just one tool among many that has risen in prominence in recent years.
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Papers by Aaron F Brantly
Cyber attacks, as a functional tool of state, have the ability to influence the space between overt diplomacy and overt war. They have been and are currently being used to influence what James D. Fearon refers to as the ex-ante bargaining range of states.2 The manipulation of the bargaining range between states to achieve a more favorable ex-ante settlement that averts the potential for overt war is not limited to cyber attacks, however. Cyber attacks are just one tool among many that has risen in prominence in recent years.
Cyber attacks, as a functional tool of state, have the ability to influence the space between overt diplomacy and overt war. They have been and are currently being used to influence what James D. Fearon refers to as the ex-ante bargaining range of states.2 The manipulation of the bargaining range between states to achieve a more favorable ex-ante settlement that averts the potential for overt war is not limited to cyber attacks, however. Cyber attacks are just one tool among many that has risen in prominence in recent years.