 Once you have completed the readings, lecture, activity, and assessment, you will be able to articulate why computer security was not a salient issue to most Americans during the 1960s through the 1990s. Articulate how modern cyber capabilities are also germane to military theorists Klaus Witz and Sun Tzu. Welcome to the first lecture of Cyber Conflict. This course presented in 15 modules and requiring no prior technical experience offers an overview of well known cyber attacks of the past few decades. It examines capabilities and operations of some of the United States major cyber adversaries, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The course considers how cyber capabilities fit into the standard notions of warfare and military strategy and the course covers the historical development of our own cyber warfare capability as we highlight a few bureaucratic battles among government agencies culminating in the recent official stand up of the U.S. Cyber Command. Although many would think that cyber espionage is a recent issue, the fact is that nation states have been using cyber espionage for decades to steal secrets from one another. In fact, the first act of nation state espionage is believed to occur 50 years ago. In 1967, when East German spies hacked into computers operated by an IBM subsidiary in West Germany, the intrusion was so worrisome that it prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to hold three days of hearings on the risk of computer espionage. Although such attacks were concerning, we will see that they tended to produce little consequence in strengthening cybersecurity within both the public and private sectors. Even into the late 1980s, most politicians, as well as the general public, lacked any real experience with computers to make protection of networks and agenda item. The private sector took significant notice only after the morris worm infected nearly 10 percent of our country's computers. And it was not until a decade later within the eligible receiver exercise in 1997 that our own military's senior leadership recognized the challenges of cybersecurity, leading to much needed changes. As noted, one topic in this course is how cyber capabilities fit into the standard notions of warfare and military strategy. Thomas Ridd, professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, has argued that there is really no such thing as cyber warfare. Asserting that the type of violence unleashed by cyber capabilities is too indirect to be characterized as an act of war. Other theorists such as Craig Greathouse, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of North Georgia, note that cyber warfare capabilities could easily be incorporated into the strategic ideas of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, among others. These philosophical topics will be highlighted at various points throughout the course. We will use two primary textbooks for this course. Fred Kaplan's 2016 Dark Territory, The Secret History of Cyber War, and Adam Siegel's 2016 The Hacked World Order, how nations fight, trade, maneuver, and manipulate in the digital age. Kaplan's Dark Territory will help us to understand the historical development and organization of the United States cyber warfare enterprise. Siegel's The Hacked World Order will help illuminate how nation states have come to grapple with these new cyber warfare capabilities and incorporated them into national security strategies. You are responsible for purchasing both textbooks. Other readings may be provided as well through the course. In addition, you will view several videos from various cyber conflict experts. These speakers bring unique perspectives and knowledge that greatly supplement the assigned reading material. Now let's begin the course. Quiz question one. True or false? From the 1970s through the early 1990s, most Americans had a fairly good understanding of computer technology and the promise it held for the future. The answer is false. Quiz question two. Taking into account Klaus Witt's assertion that total absolute war can only exist in theory, which of the following best describes the impact a cyber war would have? A. The impact of cyber war would be limited. B. The impact of cyber war would be all encompassing and absolute. C. Cyber war would provide no value to the outcome of a conflict. D. Klaus Witt's theories are not applicable to cyber war. The answer is A. The impact of cyber war would be limited. The activity for this module asks that you provide a one page reflection about your current level of knowledge regarding cyber conflict, include facts you know about Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and North Korean cyber capabilities, and how you feel about technology's impact on society. For instance, are you fearful of the level of technological change that is occurring in society? Save your reflection to compare and contrast your thoughts at the end of this course.