On domains: Cyber and the practice of warfare

TLDR

Cyberspace is a rapidly evolving arena of human interaction that raises unique security and defense concerns, with many nations recognizing it as a military domain despite limited operational examples. The study aims to bridge the gap between speculation and experience by applying principles from land, sea, and air forces to cyber warfare. The authors propose using these established military domain principles as a reference framework for developing cyber doctrine.

Abstract

Cyberspace is a new and evolving realm of human interaction with specific security and defence concerns. Threats to commercial and government interests are being identified and many nations have accepted cyberspace as a domain of military of operations. While governments are investing in the development of military cyber capabilities, there are few examples of military cyber operations from which military doctrine can be developed. In order to bridge the gap between speculation and experience, the principles related to land, sea, and air forces can be used to provide a helpful reference for the cyber domain. The adoption of cyberspace as a domain has more to do with marketing than doctrinal consistency with physical domains. Until some future military cyber operations are categorized as armed attacks, there is insufficient cause to categorize cyberspace as a distinct domain.