Quentin E. Hodgson

How the United States Can Deter Ransomware Attacks

To rein in ransomware attacks, the United States needs to upend the risk-reward ratio for hackers and for the countries that harbor or support them. Such a strategy would make networks harder to breach, hit back harder against hackers, and claw back gains from those who succeed.

Ensuring the Safety and Integrity of the Vote

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the U.S. election into disarray coming on top of disruptions to traditional campaigning and the increased burden on election officials. Still, with careful planning, the election can be held with integrity, while keeping the American electorate safe. But it will require everyone to help.

Keep Voters Healthy. Keep Elections Secure. Can the U.S. Do Both?

U.S. adversaries have stepped up cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. The United States should expect these foes to take advantage of the logistical challenges of voting in a COVID-19 world to redouble their efforts against elections.

During Coronavirus Pandemic, Can Congress Members Do Their Jobs by Teleworking?

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a new challenge to how Congress conducts business. How can the United States leverage existing technologies so lawmakers can continue to work safely and securely?

Helping Small Businesses Deal with Cyber Threats

Small businesses are especially vulnerable to cyber threats. What can be done to provide small businesses the security to continue to prosper, while enhancing America's cybersecurity workforce and making the economy more secure?

Report

Creating Selective Overmatch: An Approach to Developing Cyberspace Options to Sustain U.S. Primacy Against Revisionist Powers

The authors apply the concept of selective overmatch to reevaluate current U.S. cyber operations in light of competition and possible conflict with China and show how this framework can provide a roadmap for U.S. Cyber Command’s future operations.

Report

How Will Technology Shape, and Be Shaped By, Policy Choices in the Coming Decades? A Research Agenda from the Technology Futures Policy Summit

The summit gathered 15 top thinkers from industry, academia, and government to evaluate how emerging technologies could change the balance of policymaking and decisionmaking between governments and other actors.

Testimony

Cyber Threats to Canada's Defence Infrastructure

Testimony presented before the Canadian Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs on March 20, 2023.

Research Brief

Fostering Innovation in Military Technology: Strengthening DoD's Commercial Technology Pipeline

RAND researchers examined how well the Department of Defense is identifying, developing, and transitioning innovative commercial technologies from the private sector to the military and how the defense ecosystem can better support this process.

Report

Strengthening the Defense Innovation Ecosystem

The Department of Defense can more effectively harness commercially developed technologies through policies that incentivize and improve coordination and collaboration between defense innovation organizations and traditional acquisition stakeholders.

Report

Educating for Evolving Operational Domains: Cyber and Information Education in the Department of Defense and the Role of the College of Information and Cyberspace

This report examines how Department of Defense educational institutions are addressing cyberspace and information education, the potential demand for this education, and how the College of Information and Cyberspace can contribute.

Report

Securing U.S. Elections: A Method for Prioritizing Cybersecurity Risk in Election Infrastructure

Researchers from the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center have developed a methodology for understanding and prioritizing cybersecurity risk in election infrastructure to assist state and local election officials.

Report

Planning for Significant Cyber Incidents: An Introduction for Decisionmakers

This report describes contingency planning for a significant cyber incident, focusing on the importance of planning, the process of developing a plan, and options for operationalizing it. It summarizes a companion how-to guide by the same authors.

Report

Managing Response to Significant Cyber Incidents: Comparing Event Life Cycles and Incident Response Across Cyber and Non-Cyber Events

This report examines U.S. structures and processes for non-cyber emergency management and whether U.S. officials can learn from these other incidents to help public and private sector stakeholders improve preparations for response to cyber incidents.

Report

Many Hands in the Cookie Jar: Case Studies in Response Options to Cyber Incidents Affecting U.S. Government Networks and Implications for Future Response

This report describes major cyber incidents against U.S. government systems and addresses whether responses have changed, whether they changed adversary behavior, and what the United States can learn from these cases to inform future policymaking.

Report

Wing-Level Mission Assurance for a Cyber-Contested Environment

The authors offer ways to help wings assure their missions despite cyber attacks, focusing on how wings can maintain situational awareness, defend their systems, and respond to and recover from attacks to survive and operate when under cyber attack.

Report

RAND's Scalable Warning and Resilience Model (SWARM): Enhancing Defenders' Predictive Power in Cyberspace

The model introduced in this report is intended to enhance the predictive capabilities available to cyber defenders while also augmenting resilience by improving preventions and detections of cyber threats.

Report

Proposed Analytical Products for the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability: Developing and Presenting Options for Future Force Design and Capability Development

RAND Project Air Force assisted the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability (AFWIC) in conceptualizing analytical and other products to support concept development, options for future force design, and capability development planning.

Research Brief

Multiple Dilemmas for the Joint Force: Joint All-Domain Command and Control

The authors examine potential command and control impediments to multidomain operations and propose alternative models for joint all-domain command and control.

Report

Multiple Dilemmas: Challenges and Options for All-Domain Command and Control

The authors examine potential command-and-control impediments to multidomain operations and propose alternative models for joint all-domain command and control.

Report

Do Americans Expect Safe and Secure Elections?

An August 2020 survey of Americans' attitudes about voting in November 2020 revealed small changes in responses compared with May 2020 responses to an identical survey on physical safety, and election integrity.

Report

How Is the Pandemic Influencing Intention to Vote?

An August 2020 survey of Americans' attitudes about voting in November 2020 revealed small changes in responses compared with May 2020 responses to an identical survey on intention to vote and intended voting method.

Report

Voter Attitudes Toward the 2020 Election: August 2020 Update

This appendix provides additional methodological and research material for two reports that summarize results of an August 2020 survey of Americans' attitudes about voting in November 2020. The August survey is a follow-up to one conducted in May.

Commentary

Securing U.S. Elections Against Cyber Threats: Considerations for Supply Chain Risk Management

The supply chain for components of U.S. election systems and equipment is at the core of election security. The authors of this Perspective describe the supply chain–related risks to election cybersecurity and integrity and how they can be managed.

Report

Attitudes on Voting in 2020: Preparing for Elections During a Pandemic

In survey responses about expectations for the November 2020 election, most voters say they think that voting will be safe and votes will be counted despite the pandemic. But concerns about safety and integrity could act as deterrents for some.

Report

An Assessment of State Voting Processes: Preparing for Elections During a Pandemic

State election laws on early voting, remote voting, and voter registration could have implications for the execution of the November 2020 general election under conditions brought on by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Report

Options for Ensuring Safe Elections: Preparing for Elections During a Pandemic

Voting and registration options can help ensure safe elections despite the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Each option has advantages; challenges; and different levels of risk regarding safety, integrity, access, and logistics.

Report

Fighting Shadows in the Dark: Understanding and Countering Coercion in Cyberspace

The authors of this report examine cases from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea to understand whether and how states use cyber operations to coerce other states or actors, and highlight the challenges of identifying cyber coercion.

Commentary

Operationalizing Cyberspace as a Military Domain: Lessons for NATO

The authors of this Perspective discuss current efforts by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to integrate cyberspace as an operational domain, including a focus on indications and warning and adapting a framework for the NATO context.

Journal Article

Applying Indications and Warning Frameworks to Cyber Incidents

This research proposes a high-level yet practical strategic cyber indications and warning approach that governments, NATO agencies, and the private sector can apply to defend against cyber threats.