Eric Sterner

So-called hacktivists, who combine computer hacking with social, political and economic protest, have straddled the line between criminal behavior and political protest for years. But their success in launching high-profile attacks on organizations as diverse as the FBI, CIA, MasterCard and the Vatican has captured the attention of government officials in ways that traditional political protests do not. more

Conventional wisdom holds that it is in Iran’s near-term interest to calm tensions with the West, particularly the United States. But it’s worth considering the dynamics at work in Tehran’s relationship with the rest of the world. In fact, the Iranian leadership’s incentives may run counter to our expectations, making a continuation or escalation of tensions more, not less, likely. more

Debates over space policy typically concern three themes: national security, civil space and commercial space. While a lot of creative thinking and policy analysis is involved in these existing debates, less attention has been paid to more basic functions, such as managing activity in the domain of space. The demands on basic management functions have been relatively modest, but that is changing. more

Given the speed and range of cyber attacks, an "active defense" as outlined recently by Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn depends on sophisticated rules of engagement, which must be set in advance. Lynn focuses on an attacker's motivation to determine which body of law and regulation will govern a U.S. response. This may well prove a fatal flaw in the Pentagon's defensive posture. more

Since cyberspace's creation, the U.S. government has struggled with protecting it. Part of the problem lies with the fact that policymakers are still unsure how to treat cyber attacks. Are they acts of war? Crimes? Intelligence operations? Once authorities categorize an attack, they can use existing policymaking frameworks to deal with it. But for now, policy development is stalled while the country tries to sort out the answers. more

The commentary on Gen. Stanley McChrystal's removal has focused on civil-military relations and the domestic political implications for President Barack Obama's national security image. But those who focus on McChrystal's impolitic comments as justification for his departure risk missing the larger point -- namely, the contradictions and fecklessness of a policy that created the frustration on the ground to begin with. more

Increasingly, if one digs deeply enough into any economic activity in the 21st century, a space element will be involved. And as the world's most developed space power, the United States has led the way in integrating space into its economic foundations and military capabilities. That ought to give policymakers pause, because the U.S. space industrial base is not what it used to be. Indeed, its health is actually in question. more