The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Project
Defense Project
The Defense Project has become the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program. Learn more about the program’s publications and events at the Belfer Center here.
The Defense Project seeks to increase the Belfer Center’s visibility and capacity to advance policy relevant knowledge in defense and international security areas and help prepare future leaders for service in those fields. Through a robust seminar series featuring visiting senior military officers and DoD civilian leaders, this initiative links defense professionals with Belfer researchers, faculty, and students, to facilitate better policy-making in the field and enrich the education of fellows and students about security issues.
