US cyber strategy of persistent engagement & defend forward : implications for the alliance and intelligence collection/ Max Smeets

This article evaluates the implications of U.S. cyber strategy of persistent engagement for the alliance and intelligence collection. This paper concludes suggesting several ways forward, including the creation of a new NATO-memorandum of understanding on cyber operations. The assessment of this article takes place in five steps. The first section notes that, historically, allied states operate in each other's systems. The second section addresses the benefits of this activity and efforts of the U.S. to more closely collaborate with allies in this space. The third section subsequently discusses the four avenues of how the strategy could lead to negative implications for the alliance: i) loss of trust due to offensive cyber effects operations in allied systems or networks; ii) compromise of allied intelligence operations and capabilities; iii) exploitability of the strategy by adversaries; and iv) the implementation (and justification) of persistent engagement by other countries. The final section concludes and provides a potential proposal to move forward.

NATO, USA, CYBERSEC, INTEL, STRATEGY, NATSEC