Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security

What Is the Cyber Offense-Defense Balance? Conceptions, Causes, and Assessment

    Author:
  • Rebecca Slayton
| Winter 2016/17

Summary

Does cyberspace favor the offense, as many analysts and policymakers claim? Three factors undermine any cyber offensive advantage, as demonstrated in a cost-benefit analysis of the Stuxnet operation against Iran. First, any measurement of the offense-defense balance must consider a cyber operation’s value as well as its cost to both sides. Second, organizational capabilities play a significant role in determining the balance. Third, offensive advantages decline when attackers target physical infrastructure rather than information networks.

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For Academic Citation:

Rebecca Slayton, "What Is the Cyber Offense-Defense Balance? Conceptions, Causes, and Assessment," International Security, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Winter 2016/17), pp. 72–109.

The Author

Rebecca Slayton

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