The Hammer and the Anvil: Offensive Cyber Strategy with Chris Inglis

Chris Inglis joins Frank Cilluffo to break down what offensive cyber strategy should look like in an era of strategic competition. Drawing from the McCrary Institute's new report on U.S. cyber policy, Inglis argues that resilience and consequences are not competing theories—they have to work together. He explains why "defend forward" and persistent engagement reshaped authorities and expectations after 2018, including how NSPM-13 changed delegation for operations. The conversation also tackles the messy seam between Title 10 and Title 50 in cyberspace, and why integration—not exquisite tools—will decide whether cyber power is truly strategic. Main Topics Covered Why offense and resilience must operate as one integrated cyber strategy Cyber deterrence as changing an adversary's decision calculus, not perfection How NSPM-13 helped shift delegation and operational tempo in 2018 What "defend forward" means in plain terms—and why it's defensive Blurring of Title 10 and Title 50 in cyberspace—and why that matters The warning: the U.S. is behind on integrating cyber with power Key Quotes "My view is that the discussion of whether it's going to be a focus on defense kind of inherent resilience or a focus on imposing consequences is a false choice." — Chris Inglis "But when you get to cyberspace, it turns out that the Title 50, which is trying to get information from cyberspace, and the Title 10, which is trying to actually achieve effects in cyberspace, are about 90% the same." — Chris Inglis "[With defend forward] We're not going to wait onshore for [malicious cyber activity] to arrive and then kind of cede the initiative to adversaries." — Chris Inglis "What keeps me awake at night? We don't have time. We're way behind the curve." — Chris Inglis Relevant Links and Resources McCrary Institute report — U.S. Cyber Policy: Offense, Deterrence, and Strategic Competition Guest Bio Chris Inglis is the former U.S. National Cyber Director and former NSA Deputy Director, with decades of experience in national security and cyber policy.