Embracing Full-Spectrum Cyber

We find ourselves in a time governed by digital convergence. Unified effects delivered across domains at speed and at scale will become crucial to the future of national security. Full-spectrum cyber, the smooth integration of offensive and defensive cyber, electronic warfare and space-based countermeasures, will prove to be the ultimate advantage. It will redefine what’s possible.

The Convergence Imperative 

Historically, cyber operations, electronic warfare and space-based defenses have been siloed, each with distinct tool sets, missions and leadership. But the threats we face no longer respect these boundaries. State and non-state actors are increasingly operating across domains, blending electronic attack with digital deception, space jamming with cyber infiltration. To keep pace, our capabilities must converge. 

Full-spectrum cyber collapses these siloes into an integrated ecosystem of effects. By sharing data, command and control, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision support across domains, we can shorten kill chains, increase resilience and deliver decisive advantages faster and more efficiently than ever before. 

Integration as a Force Multiplier 

Electronic warfare, a key enabler of air and ground dominance, gains exponential power when informed by real-time cyber intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and space-based threat intelligence. Likewise, offensive cyber effects can be precisely targeted and timed when synchronized with electronic warfare decoys or satellite-denied GPS disruptions. 

Similarly, cyber has historically been bucketed into defensive operations—with varying degrees of sophistication ranging from perimeter defense to zero-trust architectures—and offensive cyber operations, in which the exploits' efficacy degrades once deployed and which is a tougher skill set to ethically source. The real powerhouse of cybersecurity is when offensive practices inform defensive solutions, since those who know how to break into something know best how to defend it. Without that integrated offensive and defensive approach to cybersecurity, true full-spectrum cyber is not achievable. This is not hypothetical. Today, multidomain integration of offensive and defensive cyber techniques is already being applied to various missions—all in a synchronized effect chain. The result? Reduced decision cycles, minimized exposure and enhanced mission assurance. 

Driving Mission Efficiency 

Efficiency is not just about cost; it’s about agility, survivability and mission outcome. A unified full-spectrum cyber architecture reduces the need for redundant hardware, simplifies sustainment and empowers operators to shift effects fluidly across domains based on threat context. It also enables predictive threat modeling and autonomous response at machine speed, freeing up warfighters to focus on strategy and execution.

The convergence of cyber and electronic warfare will counteract increasingly complex and dynamic threats, especially when supported by resilient space-based systems. This will lead to outsmarting peer adversaries, applying pressure without direct force.

Leading With Principles 

As we push the boundaries of full-spectrum capabilities, we must lead with principles. This means building in accountability, ensuring interoperability with allies and maintaining clear command authorities for cyber and electronic warfare effects. It also means investing in the digital talent and AI-powered systems that will define tomorrow’s edge.  

The Path Forward 

Full-spectrum cyber is not a future vision; it’s a current imperative. It’s how we will deliver overmatched effects in contested environments. It’s how we protect critical infrastructure and ensure freedom of action in all domains. And it’s how we create the adaptable, integrated mission environment our forces need to prevail. Most importantly, this approach is the means by which we ensure our national security and the way of life we all enjoy. The future of conflict is multidomain and multidimensional—at the speed of AI. Full-spectrum cyber is how we win it. 

Bob Coleman is the CEO of Nightwing.