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Invictus
Invictus Insights

The Sixth Domain of Warfare

By: Sean Papso

In the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber warfare, time has emerged as the sixth domain of warfare, alongside land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. The speed at which cyber threats emerge and propagate has a profound impact on the Government acquisition lifecycle for cyber capability procurement. Traditional procurement processes designed for physical assets struggle to keep pace with the dynamic nature of cyber technologies. As a result, Government agencies face significant challenges in acquiring and deploying cyber capabilities promptly and effectively to defend against emerging threats.

In the realm of cyber warfare, time is a critical factor. Cyber adversaries can develop and deploy sophisticated attacks in a matter of hours or days, while the traditional acquisition process often takes months or even years to complete. Even in the age of Other Transaction Agreements/ Authorities (OTAs) and rapid acquisition vehicles, the time disparity still creates the potential for a significant disadvantage for the United States and its allies. Adopting agile acquisition methodologies, such as iterative development and rapid prototyping, can enable faster deployment of critical cyber defense tools, ensuring they remain relevant in the ever-changing threat landscape.

Furthermore, the speed of technological advancement in the cyber domain demands continuous market research and real-time threat intelligence. As a country we must maintain constant vigilance and awareness of cutting-edge cyber technologies. This means fostering strong partnerships with defense industrial base partners, research institutions, and cybersecurity experts to access the latest innovations. By leveraging these partnerships, the government can gain valuable insights into emerging threats and rapidly evolving solutions, enabling more informed and timely procurement decisions.

Invictus is working hand in hand today with our Government clients to meet this challenge through our extensive experience and partnerships with both worldwide entities and niche cyber partners, promoting real-time threat intelligence, prioritizing supply chain security, and providing subject matter expertise to effectively respond to the ever-changing cyber threat landscape. As we look forward into the near future, we recognize embracing time as a critical factor in cyber capability procurement is essential to maintain technological superiority and protect national security in this evolving digital battlefield.