Developing an academic curriculum in information operations: The first step

Increasingly the realm of Information Operations (IO) and Cyber Warfare are seen as crucial to the success of the Department of Defense’s ability to conduct military missions, yet the training and education efforts associated with these areas are often disjointed and uncoordinated. Whilst a large number of universities have developed more specialized Information Assurance (IA) or computer security programs, the broader aspects of IO are still not seen as worthy of study by the academic community. In this paper, the authors outline the need for an academic response to develop a better methodology of an Information Operations Education program, to include research and recommendations for future efforts to develop standards and metrics in the IO training and education realm