What it Takes to Develop a Military Cyber-Force
States often struggle to develop a military cyber-force, as the time and resources required for an effective capability are much greater than often appreciated, argues Max Smeets in this CSS Policy Perspectives.
![Cyber Army](/en/center/CSS-news/2022/06/what-it-takes-to-develop-a-military-cyber-force/_jcr_content/wide_content/image/image.imageformat.1286.69520178.jpg)
Key Points
- Offensive cyber capability development encompasses five key elements: people, exploits, tools, infrastructure, and organization.
- The most important element of developing an offensive cyber capability concerns the recruitment, training, and retention of personnel.
- There are both benefits and risks to organizational integration between military and intelligence.
- There is a tension between establishing standard operating procedures to carry out complex routine operations and maintaining individual flexibility.