Cyber-Security and Threat Politics: US Efforts to Secure the Information Age (Css Studies in Security and International Relations)

This book explores the political process behind the construction of cyber-threats as one of the quintessential security threats of modern times in the US. Myriam Dunn Cavelty posits that cyber-threats are definable by their unsubstantiated nature. Despite this, they have been propelled to the forefront of the political agenda. Using an innovative theoretical approach, this book examines how, under what conditions, by whom, for what reasons, and with what impact cyber-threats have been moved on to the political agenda. In particular, it analyses how governments have used threat frames, specific interpretive schemata about what counts as a threat or risk and how to respond to this threat. By approaching this subject from a security studies angle, this book closes a gap between practical and theoretical academic approaches. It also contributes to the more general debate about changing practices of national security and their implications for the international community. Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Illustrations 7 Acknowledgements 8 Abbreviations 9 Introduction 12 1 The information age and cyber-threats: Shifting meanings and interpretations 23 2 Politics and threat construction: Theoretical underpinnings 35 3 The hostile intelligence threat, data security, and encryption set the stage 52 4 Asymmetric vulnerabilities and the double-edged sword of information warfare: Developments in the military domain 77 5 Critical infrastructures and homeland security 102 6 Securing the information age: Failed securitisation or a new logic of security? 133 7 Cyber-threats and security in the information age: Issues and implications 149 Bibliography 156 Index 185 This book is about the phenomenon of cyber-threats, signifying the malicious use of information and communication technologies. It focuses on how the threats are constructed and propelled onto the political agenda, with a specific focus on the US from 1980-2004 This book explores how cyber-threats are constructed and propelled onto the political agenda, with a specific focus on the United States