Military Review English Edition May-June 2014 | Page 12

of offensive cyberspace capabilities—to anyone
not working directly on developing and executing
them—contributes a level of operational security
that will support the capability over time. Additionally, maintaining a level of inaccessibility surrounding the offensive cyberspace capabilities affords
the option to mask operational intent. Most joint
planners do not possess the knowledge or security
clearance to know how to build a Tomahawk cruise
missile from scratch; nor should joint planners
have the access to dissect an offensive cyberspace
capability.
An example of this paradox is the espionage virus
Flame, discovered in 2012 and thought to have
circulated on the Internet approximately four years
before detection.25 According to Debra Van Opstal,
Flame “exploited the Windows operating system to
capture audio, screenshots, keyboard activity, and
network traffic information from infected computers.”26 Whoever decided to employ Flame likely did
not understand the intricacies of its inner workings,
but they did understand the desired effect. Flame is
just one example of an offensive cyberspace tool
that is difficult to detect, but its complex nature
offers a unique perspective into the level of detail
required to produce a pervasive cyber effect. The
challenge for the combatant command and JTF
staffs is accepting and operating in this borderless
environment, which may involve hitting the “I
believe” button when vetting desired, prioritized
effects through USCYBERCOM.
Improvements to the joint targeting cycle.
To better utilize OCO capabilities, joint targeting
coordination boards (JTCBs) must change how they
assemble their JIPTLs; they must coordinate cyber
target nomination with USCYBERCOM. This will
enable the JTCBs to enhance OCO utilization, while
fully integrating cyberspace capabilities with the
traditional land, air, and sea power.
Iterative capabilities analysis. Each JTCB
should have a cyberspace representative assigned
to it. The representative should be coequal with t