Advances in information technology have led us to rely on easy communication and readily available information--both in our personal lives and in the life of our nation. For the most part, we have rightly welcomed these changes. But information that is readily available is available to friend and foe alike; a system that relies on communication can become useless if its ability to communicate is interfered with or destroyed. Because this reliance is so general, attacks on the information infrastructure can have widespread effects, both for the military and for society. And such attacks can come from a variety of sources, some difficult or impossible to identify. This, the third volume in the Strategic Appraisal series, draws on the expertise of researchers from across RAND to explore the opportunities and vulnerabilities inherent in the increasing reliance on information technology, looking both at its usefulness to the warrior and the need to protect its usefulness for everyone. The Strategic Appraisal series is intended to review, for a broad audience, issues bearing on national security and defense planning.

Today, the United States possesses military predominance, and American political and economic ideas have broad global appeal. Almost all of the economically capable nations are our allies. Yet the end of the Cold War has also brought an increase in disorder as a result of the rise in ethnic nationalism and the fragmentation of several states. And these are not the only complications in the current strategic situation. The old U.S. grand strategy--its stand against the Soviet Union--has become moot, and a new one must be devised in the face of a changing world. This book discusses this need and examines three possible strategies. It goes on to discuss the complexities of current geopolitical trends and describes the demands these situations might place on the U.S. military and, in particular, the Air Force.

This is an authoritative and practical guide to collecting, analysing and managing data, to enable managers and companies to develop successful business strategies. Data has become a dominant factor in today's business environment. This book, written by a leading practitioner, explains the underpinning nature of data for a company's business strategy. The book begins with data collection: getting data is no big deal; getting the right data to win in the market is. It moves on to data analysis: turning data into actionable intelligence is what drives and determines competitive advantage. And, finally, managing data: how to organise your data collection and analysis to create winning strategies. This is a definitive book about one of the most important topics in today's digital and data-driven economy.

Over the past few years the Department of Defense has been intensifying its study of the global security situation, U.S. force posture, and future defense requirements. The National Defense University contributes to this dialog through Strategic Assessment, an annual publication which applies the expertise of this institution through the leadership of its interdisciplinary research arm, the Institute for National Strategic Studies, with the assistance of specialists from elsewhere in government and academe. Offering such analyses, in both general and particular areas of interest to the national security community is an important aspect of the NDU mission. This volume examines various approaches that the United States might adopt to shape the strategic environment of the future. The current environment is characterized by instability and change. The U.S. Government needs to apply the full range of options at its disposal to achieve national goals and ensure the peace and stability required to preserve our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But such options must be studied and conceptualized for years (and in some cases, decades) in advance to take advantage of the opportunities presented by a changing global environment. The recent Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) recommended a series of defense posture changes. This volume reviews these recommendations and takes the next analytical step, to propose what is entailed by such changes. Strategic Assessment 1998: Engaging Power for Peace should prove useful beyond the defense establishment, to all readers with an interest in national security affairs.

This Assessment is aimed at policymakers, analysts, and members of the public who want a serious summary of the threats facing the U.S. in the next decade. Contents: major powers (Russia, Europe, China, Japan, North America); significant regional contingencies (Persian Gulf, Korean peninsula, Arab-Israel conflict, India-Pakistan, proliferation); troubled states (Balkans, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle Eastern radicalism); transnational problems (international terrorism; international crime; refugees, migration, and population); force structure (threat assessment, key military missions, force structure). Illustrated.