A Cyber Pearl Harbor?

An alarmist school of thought that views cyber as a revolutionary innovation changing the nature of war is driving today's public narrative with claims that the United States is losing a cyber war or that a cyber Pearl Harbor is looming. Without critical analysis or debate and lacking a common lexicon for understanding the threats emanating from cyber, there is a danger for escalation to armed conflict or strategic investment in areas that do too little to mitigate the true threat faced by the United States. A more pragmatic school of thought views cyber as an evolution in technology guided by historical international relations, norms, and strategic logic; and is forming a framework for keys concepts that stand to better inform US policy and strategy in cyber. In proposing a more strategically logical framework upon which to evaluate cyber threats, this paper suggests the United States' focus must be primarily on cyber security.