Cyber Security

The Cybersecurity & Technology Program at CNAS explores the policy implications of emerging technologies, in order to inform consequential policy decisions and public debates that will influence American security and prosperity now and for decades.  Issues such as cybersecurity and Internet governance are major areas of inquiry, but the research agenda will evolve to respond to pressing current needs and important future trends.  Future research may examine the role of automation and robotics in warfare, the implications of human performance enhancement technologies and the security implications of advanced manufacturing technologies.

Cybersecurity

Information technologies lie at the heart US economic, military, and social activities, and provide tremendous benefits in all of these areas.  However, they also enable a wide range of malicious activity, including crime, espionage and terrorism.  The United States is currently grappling with a number of complex cybersecurity issues ranging from the proper role of government in protecting U.S. intellectual property to the establishment of global norms for Internet governance.  CNAS research focuses on bringing together multiple perspectives – private and public sectors, national and international players, technical experts and policymakers—to identify pragmatic policy options for addressing these issues.

Emerging Technologies

A number of technologies have the potential to revolutionize U.S. military operations.  The operational, policy and legal implications of these technologies are not always well understood.  One prominent example is the discussions about the use of drones to conduct counterterror operations, but other technologies have raised similar challenges.  In addition, the proliferation of sophisticated and increasingly inexpensive technologies such as additive manufacturing and synthetic biology may pose serious security challenges to the United States in the years ahead.  CNAS research aims to highlight and analyze the policy implications of emerging technologies in order to inform U.S. leaders about the opportunities and challenges they face now and may face in the near future.