Military-digital complex

The military-digital complex (MDC) is the militarization of <a href="/facts/Cyber_Operations/UYp25v4v">cyber operations</a> by governments and corporations, often through monetary relationships between computer programmers in private companies and the military to combat the threat of cyber terrorism and warfare. Cyber operations since 2000 have increased dramatically, with the recent branch of the US Strategic Command the <a href="/facts/United_States_Cyber_Command/G09JxTAm">United States Cyber Command</a>. Cyber operations has been defined by the Washington Post as,

"Offensive and defensive cyber (or digital) warfare, including the fields of computer network attack, computer network exploitation and computer network defense; as well as traditional electronic warfare (e.g., jamming) intended to deny an adversary use of their electronically dependent equipment through "non-kinetic" means—that is, by fighting with electrons rather than explosives."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>
As cyber attacks become an increasingly common threat to the security of civilians and highly classified governmental information, a need to combat the threat by means of <a href="/facts/Computer_network_operations/eT9uYB6M">computer network operations</a> and computer network defense have arisen. It is important to note however that protection is only one component of the Military-digital complex and that the use of <a href="/facts/Information_warfare/sMMLWoeu">information warfare</a> within the complex can be used to achieve military operations and an upper-hand in economic exploits.
The Military-digital complex contains many components which align it succinctly to its industrial counterpart, for example the use of defense contractors. Although hired Contractors may not be explicitly named as such they still expose the complex to complications such as the <a href="/facts/Principal%25E2%2580%2593agent_problem/DPtHIoWo">principal–agent problem</a> and consequently <a href="/facts/Moral_hazard/HdsYcG0B">moral hazard</a>. The MDC is seen as a progression as nations move globally towards <a href="/facts/Cyberwarfare/UYp25v4v">cyberwarfare</a>, indeed the cyber war is increasingly being acknowledged as the "fifth domain of warfare".
The MDC is a necessity for governmental bodies in order to maintain high standards within their cyber army, for example the USA boasts over "143 private companies involved in top secret cyber operations programs", however James Gosler a government specialist in cyber security indicates that the USA have a severe shortage of government cybersecurity specialists.

Military-digital complex open-in-new

Military-digital complex