Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security
The Subversive Trilemma: Why Cyber Operations Fall Short of Expectations
Summary
Although cyber conflict has existed for thirty years, the strategic utility of cyber operations remains unclear. A growing body of research explains why cyber operations tend to fall short of their promise in both warfare and low-intensity competition. The mismatch between promise and practice is the consequence of the subversive trilemma theory, which finds that cyber operations’ speed, intensity, and control are negatively correlated. A case study of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict reveals that the trilemma’s constraining effects result in cyber operations delivering limited utility.
For more information on this publication:
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For Academic Citation:
Lennart Maschmeyer, "The Subversive Trilemma: Why Cyber Operations Fall Short of Expectations," International Security, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Fall 2021), pp. 51–90, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00418.
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Although cyber conflict has existed for thirty years, the strategic utility of cyber operations remains unclear. A growing body of research explains why cyber operations tend to fall short of their promise in both warfare and low-intensity competition. The mismatch between promise and practice is the consequence of the subversive trilemma theory, which finds that cyber operations’ speed, intensity, and control are negatively correlated. A case study of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict reveals that the trilemma’s constraining effects result in cyber operations delivering limited utility.
Lennart Maschmeyer, "The Subversive Trilemma: Why Cyber Operations Fall Short of Expectations," International Security, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Fall 2021), pp. 51–90, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00418.
- Recommended
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Subversion over Offense: Why the Practice of Cyber Conflict Looks Nothing Like Its Theory and What This Means for Strategy and Scholarship
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Most Viewed
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The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Policy Brief - Quarterly Journal: International Security
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