Requirements
This assignment will focus on potential adversary country cyber capabilities and issues. You are to choose one of the primary countries that we covered in class or the more general topic of non-state actors and write an essay of between 1000 and 1500 words (4-5 pages double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman) in response to the question below.
There is no right or wrong answer-the point of this exercise is not to have you regurgitate facts about a country's cyber activities or capabilities, but rather to have you think critically about this topic and provide a concise and cogent discussion of the issues as you see them.
Your interpretations, opinions, and conclusions will be at the heart of this essay, but you are expected to support them with real-world examples and counter-examples. An unsupported opinion is not worth much. You do not have to provide formal citations (although you are encouraged to do so, as it makes for a stronger argument), but make sure you give appropriate credit for ideas that are not your own or assertions that are not universally accepted (e.g., "As detailed in NSA intelligence summaries...", "The NY Times has asserted that...", etc.).
Submission
Submissions are due by midnight on 17 June. Unclassified submissions can be posted to the Sakai site "Assignment" by the due date.
Given the nature of the assignment, your essay may contain classified information. You are responsible for ensuring proper classification markings on your submission in this case. Classified submissions are to be made to the instructor via JWICS e-mail ([email protected] ). Submissions via SIPRNET will not be accepted.
Questions
Discuss the relationship between your chosen country or group's national political, economic, and social policies and objectives and cyber actors associated with that country or group (i.e., how are national or group objectives furthered or hindered through cyberspace). Specifically, address the following:
1. How do cyber actors directly or indirectly associated with the government or group (e.g., military resources) factor into the realization of national or group objectives? What is the nature of the government-actor relationship?
2. What role do other actors (e.g., cyber criminals, private companies, dissident groups, etc.) play? Do these sorts of entities have any negative impacts on the implementation of cyber policies? Are there other considerations that must be taken into account because of the existence of groups over which the government or group has limited control?
3. To what extent are public/private partnerships utilized, and how effective are the relationships between the public and private sector in realizing national or group goals in cyberspace?
4. What implications with regard to public image (both internationally and within the country or group) exist as a result of cyber policy implementation? How does the image that a country or group wants to project align with the reality of their policies?