Engaging Cyber Communities

<p>There are 1.7 billion Internet users worldwide as of October 2009 and growing. The dramatic growth in online users in conjunction with the influence of social communities in cyberspace is having an effect in current and future international affairs. Despite the growing amount of activity performed by social groups in cyberspace the US military remains focused on technology centric operations such as computer network attack and computer network defense. This leads to the question of whether the US military is missing an opportunity by not focusing on online social communities. This research performed a problem and solutions methodology to investigate this question. The research came up with the criteria of value and risk to analyze whether the US military should engage cyber communities. The results of this study suggest engaging online communities can augment the technology-centric solutions. Engaging online communities can help to degrade deceive and exploit adversaries operations in cyberspace. Engaging online communities can also influence and help respond to social groups' issues and concerns. Without responding or influencing these groups they are left to their own vagaries as well as negative and adversarial influence. There are risks associated with engaging online communities due to the ubiquitous reach of cyberspace. An ill-conceived comment text or video can be sent globally and have a negative impact to objectives and reputation. However this study finds applying controls and rules of engagement in undertaking these operations can mitigate the risks. Thus the US military needs to develop these capabilities and engage social communities in cyberspace.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>