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class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"107.8519295302\"><body readability=\"218.06940179339\"><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. is stepping into a new cyber era, and it comes not a moment too soon.<\/p>\n<p>With the Trump administration\u2019s sweeping $1 billion cyber initiative in the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/gop-domestic-policy-bill-includes-hundreds-of-millions-for-military-cyber\/\">Big Beautiful Bill<\/a>\u201d and growing congressional momentum under the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen cyber deterrence, we\u2019re seeing a shift in posture that many in the security community have long anticipated, although often debated: a decisive pivot toward <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/aggressive-cyber-offense-trump-administration-us-strategy-debate\/\">more robust offensive cyber operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While many may disagree with the decision to \u201cgo on offense,\u201d we need to recognize the changing threat landscape and the failure of our previous restrained approach. The U.S. has the most advanced cyber capabilities in the world. Yet for the past two decades, our posture has been dominated by defense, deterrence-by-denial, and diplomatic restraint. This strategy has not yielded peace or dissuaded our adversaries. On the contrary, it has only served to embolden them.<\/p>\n<p>With geopolitical tensions now at a boiling point and adversaries escalating both the scale and ambition of their cyber campaigns, it is time to remove the handcuffs. This doesn\u2019t mean acting recklessly, but it does mean meeting our adversaries on the same battlefield so that we can use our unmatched capabilities to hold them at risk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The strategic landscape has changed<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The cyber threat environment in 2025 is fundamentally different from what it was even five years ago. Operations like China\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/volt-typhoon\/\">Volt Typhoon<\/a> and Russia\u2019s relentless campaigns against Ukraine\u2019s infrastructure illustrate a broader shift: our adversaries are no longer limiting themselves to espionage or IP theft. They are actively preparing for conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Volt Typhoon, in particular, marks a strategic evolution as Chinese state actors are actively prepositioning in U.S. critical infrastructure not for surveillance, but for disruption. <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/salt-typhoon\/\">Salt Typhoon<\/a>\u2019s operations, targeting civilian infrastructure with apparent tolerance for detection, suggest a loosening of China\u2019s risk calculus. Meanwhile, Russia\u2019s destructive malware targeting industrial control system (ICS) environments, and Iran\u2019s growing reliance on cyber proxies, show how aggressive and emboldened our rivals have become.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Offensive capabilities are a military imperative<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The proposed $1 billion investment isn\u2019t about launching retaliatory attacks. It\u2019s about building the infrastructure, tools, and talent needed to make cyber a fully integrated and reliable component of U.S. military and intelligence operations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While the U.S. possesses world-class cyber capabilities, current policies have kept these tools locked behind layers of classification, bureaucracy, and operational disconnect. As a result, offensive cyber operations have been limited to highly targeted missions. While they\u2019re often executed with surgical precision, they usually lack the speed, adaptability, or scale demonstrated by our adversaries.<\/p>\n<p>When a U.S. technique is exposed, it can take months to retool and mount another operation. In contrast, our adversaries rely on publicly known vulnerabilities, social engineering, and agile teams that can quickly weaponize newly disclosed exploits.<\/p>\n<p>Zero-days are among our most valuable (and expensive) cyber assets. But having the exploit isn\u2019t enough. Effective use requires real-time intelligence, targeting infrastructure, trained operators, and a legal framework that enables rapid deployment.<\/p>\n<p>This new investment represents a serious effort to evolve our approach. It will enable the Department of Defense, U.S. Cyber Command, and the intelligence community to proactively shape the digital battlefield, both independently and in coordination with conventional military operations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Adversaries respond to force, not diplomacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Over the past 15 years, we\u2019ve watched top adversaries China and Russia test, prod, and exploit our most sensitive networks, from government systems to critical infrastructure companies, often with minimal consequence. We\u2019ve also sustained numerous damaging attacks, from the massive <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/opm-breach\/\">OPM<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/equifax-breach-credit-monitoring-143-million-social-security-numbers\/\">Equifax<\/a> breaches to <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/solarwinds\/\">SolarWinds<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/notpetya\/\">NotPetya<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/colonial-pipeline\/\">Colonial Pipeline<\/a>. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n<p>In all of these cases, we\u2019ve responded, at best, with indictments, sanctions, or strongly worded statements. In the meantime, our adversaries have only grown bolder and more sophisticated. Their actions suggest one conclusion: they don\u2019t believe we\u2019ll strike back.<\/p>\n<p>This lack of proportional response is viewed as weakness, not restraint. Deterrence only works when the adversary believes you will act. That belief is fading. But a more muscular cyber posture, backed by operational capacity and political will, can restore it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware is now a national security threat<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The line between criminal and nation-state activity is becoming blurred amid rising geopolitical tensions. Ransomware, once seen as a law enforcement issue, now poses one of the most serious threats to national infrastructure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>We\u2019ve already seen its disruptive power in attacks on Colonial Pipeline, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/jbs\/\">JBS Foods<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/insurance-giant-settles-notpetya-lawsuit\/\">Mondelez International<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/united-natural-foods-cyberattack-400-million\/\">United Natural Foods Inc<\/a>. However, as damaging as those were, they pale in comparison to what a determined adversary \u2014 especially one that is backed by a state \u2014 could accomplish.<\/p>\n<p>Essential services like electricity, water, health care, and transportation are increasingly vulnerable. Many ransomware groups operate in jurisdictions that ignore or even support their activities. U.S. adversaries are now integrating these actors into broader state-aligned campaigns, using them as asymmetric tools of disruption.<\/p>\n<p>The weaponization of ransomware and other destructive malware like \u201cwipers\u201d is a clear and present danger. Countering it requires more than law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>While the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI play vital roles in tracking threats, they lack the global reach and strategic authority of the military. Offensive cyber capabilities are needed to disrupt operations, dismantle infrastructure, and impose real costs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>There are risks with doing nothing, too<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Critics of these operations rightly point out there are plenty of risks: escalation, unintended consequences, and blowback. Yes, these risks are real. Any use of cyber capabilities, especially against state-linked infrastructure, must be carefully weighed, governed by rules of engagement, and aligned with broader geopolitical strategy. <\/p>\n<p>Historically, cyber has not had clear rules for what constitutes \u201ccrossing the line,\u201d though the general assumption has been that loss of life or large-scale disruptions to critical infrastructure would qualify. <\/p>\n<p>But inaction has its own risks. If we continue playing defense while our adversaries go on offense, we are signaling that they can operate with impunity. This is not de-escalation; it\u2019s appeasement. And it will only invite more aggression. <\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, offensive action may at times be the most effective path to de-escalation, by showing that the U.S. is both willing and able to impose real costs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s time for real deterrence<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cyber deterrence has long been an elusive concept. Unlike nuclear deterrence, which relies on mutually assured destruction, cyber deterrence is far more ambiguous. The lack of clear red lines, uncertain attribution, and the diverse range of actors all complicate strategy.<\/p>\n<p>But these are not reasons to avoid building deterrence. This is why it\u2019s even more important to build smarter, more flexible capabilities that combine intelligence, cyber offense, and traditional diplomacy to manage escalation while signaling resolve.<\/p>\n<p>The shift we\u2019re seeing now, both from Congress and the administration, is a necessary first step. However, in order to be effective, it must be followed by clear doctrine, strong oversight, and close coordination between military, intelligence, and homeland security stakeholders. <\/p>\n<p>Offensive cyber operations are not a silver bullet, but they are an essential tool of statecraft in the modern world. <\/p>\n<p><em>Dave Kennedy is the founder of TrustedSec and Binary Defense.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"0.53960396039604\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/why-its-time-for-the-us-to-go-on-offense-in-cyberspace-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Dave Kennedy\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Dave Kennedy<\/h4>\n<p> Dave Kennedy is the founder of 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offense<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[280,2712,302,117,513,2421,3456,2807,46,270,2953,310,288,354,1498],"tags":[284,2715,306,119,517,2422,3458,2808,54,276,2956,311,294,358,1499],"class_list":["post-7814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary","category-deterrence","category-geopolitics","category-government","category-iran","category-ndaa","category-offensive-cybersecurity","category-op-ed","category-ransomware","category-russia","category-salt-typhoon","category-technology","category-threats","category-ukraine","category-volt-typhoon","tag-commentary","tag-deterrence","tag-geopolitics","tag-government","tag-iran","tag-ndaa","tag-offensive-cybersecurity","tag-op-ed","tag-ransomware","tag-russia","tag-salt-typhoon","tag-technology","tag-threats","tag-ukraine","tag-volt-typhoon"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber 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{"id":7814,"date":"2025-07-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=85248"},"modified":"2025-07-21T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T13:00:00","slug":"why-its-time-for-the-us-to-go-on-offense-in-cyberspace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/07\/21\/why-its-time-for-the-us-to-go-on-offense-in-cyberspace\/","title":{"rendered":"Why it\u2019s time for the US to go on offense in cyberspace"},"content":{"rendered":"