Cyber, in tune: America’s next instrument of power

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This OpEd was originally published in S.C. Media.

August 11, 2025

Author: Cory Simpson, CEO, ICIT

We live in a representative democracy—where the people in Washington work for you. While the inner workings of D.C. can feel distant, complex, even outdated, they must be understood because they shape how America safeguards its interests and advances our way of life.

That work ultimately guides the use of national power—the tools or instruments the nation wields on behalf of the American people to influence outcomes.

One instrument now extends the reach and speed of our national power: cyber. Cyber is a unique, human-made domain where American enterprise leads.

So far, Washington has treated cyber mainly as a military construct, applying rules designed to guide a nation’s lawful use of force. Recognizing cyber as an independent instrument of power—and employing it alongside diplomacy, information, military force, and the economy—expands its lawful application and channels American ingenuity and innovation in the very domain we pioneered, in a way only the United States can.

Leading effectively in the digital age begins with a clear, shared understanding of “cyber”—and how it interacts with diplomacy, information, the military, and the economy to shape power. For the most digitally connected country on Earth, "cyber" refers to digital connectivity—the networks, systems, hardware, software, data, and infrastructure that influence every aspect of modern life. Power now flows through this connectivity. AI is transforming economies, reshaping national narratives, and speeding up global competition. AI operates on—and amplifies—cyber. The speed and scale of AI’s impact make cyber the frontline of power.

Cyber as its own instrument of power

Scholars and practitioners often describe national power through the “DIME” framework—Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic instruments. These are the tools the United States has used for generations to protect its interests and project influence. As cyber emerged, the U.S. largely governed it through the military mindset—the “M” in DIME—reflecting an era centered on deterrence, network defense, and strike capabilities.

The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy sets a broader ambition: a whole-of-nation approach that brings together government, industry, and civil society, aligning cyber with incentives, infrastructure investment, and democratic principles.

America is already built for this. Our culture, economy, and innovation shape the world—through the stories we share, the technology we develop, and the example we set. Hollywood, American-made technology, and the reach of our ideas are strategic strengths born of a free society and sustained by ingenuity. Elevating cyber as its own instrument—and playing it in harmony with diplomacy, information, military force, and the economy—amplifies these strengths and keeps them decisive in a competitive world.

We’ve built for new arenas before—We can again

America has faced moments like this—when new arenas of competition demanded new institutions and ways to lead. During World War II, the Office of War Information aligned domestic purpose with global goals. In the Cold War, the U.S. Information Agency carried American ideas, culture, and innovation to audiences hungry for freedom and opportunity. Each effort enabled the American idea and advanced our interests.

Today’s turning point is as much institutional as geopolitical. The federal government is modernizing its technology to enhance efficiency and serve citizens with greater speed and transparency. The creation of the Office of the National Cyber Director—born of the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission—was a landmark step. For the first time, a senior official leads a whole-of-nation cyber strategy that unites government, industry, and civil society.

Building on that foundation requires purpose-built structures and investments that keep pace with technology, foster partnerships, and sustain American leadership in cyberspace. Put simply: treat cyber as a distinct instrument of power and play it in harmony with diplomacy, information, military force, and the economy.

Strategic clarity: Who leads and how we align

Strategic clarity means knowing who leads, who executes, and how we stay aligned. The United States has elevated cyber through the Office of the National Cyber Director, yet responsibility still spans multiple agencies and congressional committees. Clarity grows when vision, resources, and execution move in the same direction.

The White House sets strategy and priorities. Departments and agencies execute within their missions. Congress provides oversight and resourcing. States, local leaders, industry, and civil society partner through sector relationships that turn policy into practice.

Cyber is distributed by design. Every sector, community, and citizen contributes to security and resilience. That reality requires a structure that communicates purpose, shares responsibility, and builds trust. In a decentralized domain like cyber—even with national leadership at the White House—effective action depends on constant communication: shared playbooks, standardized metrics, regular joint reviews, and always-on channels that link agencies, industry, and communities so the nation moves with shared intent.

As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates observed, national power performs best when every instrument plays in harmony. Together, diplomacy, information, military force, the economy, and cyber achieve outcomes no single instrument can deliver alone.

The future demands cyber in tune

Cyber belongs at the center of American strategy as a distinct instrument of power—and the medium that amplifies diplomacy, information, military force, and the economy. The foundation is in place: senior leadership at the White House, a whole-of-nation strategy, and a country whose culture and innovation set the pace for the world.

The task now is action. Remake institutions and partnerships to move at digital speed. Lead through communication—shared playbooks, standardized metrics, regular joint reviews, and always-on channels—so agencies, industry, and communities advance with shared intent. Play cyber in harmony with every instrument of power and let American ingenuity do what it does best: protect free expression, strengthen institutions, secure infrastructure, and expand opportunity.

Recent actions—recalibrating national priorities through executive orders and strengthening ONCD—create the opportunity to do exactly this, while maintaining focus on competitiveness and security. Use this platform to elevate cyber as an independent instrument, integrate it with diplomacy, markets, and information, and align efforts around measurable outcomes the public can see.

The United States has always met defining moments with purpose and clarity. We can do so again—by fully recognizing cyber as an instrument of national power, remaking institutions to work at digital speed, and anchoring strategy in the strengths that set America apart: free expression, the rule of law, open markets, public–private innovation, federalism, and trusted alliances.

Lead with those strengths, play cyber in harmony with diplomacy, information, military force, and the economy, and we will shape how power is used in the digital age, ensure it serves the people, and secure our place in a competitive world.

Cory Simpson

Cory Simpson is the CEO of Gray Space Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and advisory firm, and the Institute for Critical Infrastructure (ICIT), a non-profit organization dedicated to the security and resilience of critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0.  The opinions expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of any employer or affiliated organization.

About ICIT

The Institute  for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society.

Learn more at www.icitech.org/.

ICIT CONTACTS:

Parham Eftekhari

Founder and Chairman

parham@icitech.org 

Cory Simpson

Chief Executive Officer

cory@icitech.org