The Foreign Service Journal, March 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2015 75 assistance to Pakistan, see the Center for Global Development’s “Aid to Pakistan by the Numbers” and the Congressional Research Service’s July 1, 2013, report, “Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance.”) Poker players know that if you can’t spot the sucker during the first few hands of the game, then it is most likely you. Christine Fair’s scholarship is a gift to U.S. policymakers playing at the South Asia table; the savvy among them will use this book to be prepared to read Pakistan’s tells—and know when the deck is cold. Prior to becoming a Foreign Service officer, Kapil Gupta served as country director for Afghanistan at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. All of his poker losses from Dhaka, Accra, Navy Hill and Mumbai have been paid in full. He currently serves as the Eco- nomic Bureau’s detailee to the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review office. The opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and not the U.S. Depart- ment of State. Addressing the Cyberknowledge Gap Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know P.W. Singer and Allan Friedman, Oxford University Press, 2014, $16.95, paperback, 320 pages. Reviewed by Jim Patterson In Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know , P.W. Singer and Allan Friedman quickly summarize current cyber issues, as of early 2014, in a highly readable style The book works well as a source on current cyberdisputes and as a back- grounder for offering practical policy guidance on an increasingly complex and rapidly changing subject. It is not overly technical; nor is it laden with jargon. In short, it is a resource to equip readers for today’s challenges. From personal privacy to global poli- tics, cyberassaults are a daily affair in the 21st century. The Defense Department has reportedly budgeted $5 billion for cyberdefense. The burden on U.S. busi- nesses is growing annually, as witnessed recently in online assaults on everything from NATO to Sony Pictures. In Decem- ber, President Barack Obama compared cyberspace to the “Wild West.” Arguably, cybersecurity is one of the most important diplomatic and defense issues of our era. As one U.S. general told the authors, “Understand- ing cyber is now a command responsibility.” If not at pres- ent a diplomatic responsibil- ity, it is certainly a real factor in the international relations landscape, and cooperation with other agencies is criti- cal to quickly identify and address threats. In the authors’ view, however, the public and policymakers are woefully unin- formed when it comes to such matters. The late Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) once described cyberspace as “a series of tubes.” And, as they report, a Pentagon committee spent a year writing a 28-word definition of the term that would perplex most readers. Disturbingly, Singer and Friedman note that Congress has not passed any substantive legislation on cybersecurity since 2002. (In the final days of the 113th Congress, lawmakers passed five bills that critics say amount to very little.) Why the delay on serious cybersecurity legislation? Lawmakers lack understanding of the issue, the authors argue. Conflicting policy recommendations and priorities by agencies may also be confusing law- makers. But the risk from inaction on a national cyberdefense policy is not in the best interest of the nation. Several themes recur throughout the book. The first is knowledge: Whether it is cyberspace or foreign policy, demystify- ing something requires knowledge and knowledge-sharing. Another is person- nel: “The people behind the machines are inher- ently inside any problem or needed solution,” the authors write. Think WikiLeaker Pfc. Chelsea Manning and National Security Agency contractor and international fugitive Edward Snowden. Man- agement message: Think caution when giving clear- ances, and closely monitor personnel to prevent classified disclosures by future Chelsea and Edward types. Finally, the different views of states about cybersecurity are critical to global politics, the authors advise. Each country practices “intelligence” gathering, but for different national security purposes. For instance, cybersecurity has com- plicated diplomacy between the United States and China. China’s definition of Arguably, cybersecurity is one of the most important diplomatic and defense issues of our era.