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November 2024 | Product 3003648
National Security Issues in
Cyberspace and Space
Cyberspace and space are new national security frontiers, and their similarities and
differences present several national security issues for the U.S. This summary
describes a comparison of the two fields and discusses three critical concerns that
relate to national security.
The cyberspace and space national security
domains blur traditional ideas about borders,
sovereignty and defense strategy. Both also share
a history of having started as intelligence
activities rather than as warfighting domains,
and both remain closely linked to their
intelligence origins. Both were also originally
dominated by the government but are now
increasingly commercial activities, and the U.S.
military is turning to the private sector for many
of its cyberspace and space services. Both are
accessible through sophisticated technology
employed by a technically capable workforce.
Although space and cyberspace are similar in
many respects, they also bear differences. Space
is a naturally occurring part of earth’s
surroundings, whereas cyberspace is a manmade
phenomenon. Space-based systems typically
require massive capital outlays, whereas
cyberspace operations require much less.
IDA researcher Tom Barth assessed the current
state of cyberspace and space, considering their
unique histories, recent events, commentary by
U.S. officials and military leadership, and
existing literature. He identified three key issues
that impact national security:
— The need to define the national security
relationship between the government and
the commercial sector in each domain.
— Recruitment, professional development, and
retention of a technically capable workforce.