The Dominant Realm of This Century Will Be Virtual
Airpower dominated the 20th century, but cyberpower will dominate the 21st century. Change is outstripping conventional patterns as technologies race capabilities.
Where the 20th century was the age of airpower, the 21st century will be the age of cyberpower, according to the U.S. Air Force's chief information officer (CIO). Lt. Gen. William T. Lord, USAF, told the closing keynote luncheon audience that the growth in cyberspace's importance is outstripping even its own metrics for progress. What he referred to as "Android's Law" has accelerated Moore's Law when it comes to change. Mobile devices are driving a global cultural change, he offered, and that change is breaching barriers and crossing into new territory. For example, social media was the tipping point in recent revolutions, the general pointed out. Part of this transformation involves a shift toward emphasis on capabilities rather than on constructs. "We focus on the network, when in fact it's the work of the network," he said. As smart phones proliferate among military users, the need grows for a network that is device-agnostic, he added.
