Cyber Dragon: Inside China's Information Warfare and Cyber Operations

by Dean Cheng

This book provides a framework for assessing China's extensive cyber espionage efforts and multi-decade modernization of its military, not only identifying the "what" but also addressing the "why" behind China's focus on establishing information dominance as a key component of its military efforts.

• Provides a detailed overview and thorough analysis of Chinese cyber activities

• Makes extensive use of Chinese-language materials, much of which has not been utilized in the existing Western literature on the subject

• Enables a better understanding of Chinese computer espionage by placing it in the context of broader Chinese information warfare activities

• Analyzes Chinese military modernization efforts, providing a context for the ongoing expansion in China's military spending and reorganization

• Offers readers policy-relevant insight into Chinese military thinking while maintaining academic-level rigor in analysis and source selection

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, China

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2016

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cyber warfare is becoming a more and more important aspect of war and also of mass manipulation. The Chinese hacking interfered with the Obama election and the Russians with the Trump election. Also, one cannot forget the North Korean hacking of the Sony Corporation. When I came across Dean Cheng’s book “Cyber Dragon: Inside China’s Information Warfare and Cyber Operations”, I decided it was a good time to read it.

Cheng states that communication’s technology has taken an important place in Chinese war planning. He states the Chinese term for cyber enabled warfare is “war under conditions of informatization”. Some of the uses Cheng lists are using of technology: to gather battlefield intelligence, coordinate joint operations, influence public attitudes in target countries, conduct espionage, gain access to cyber-infrastructures both military and civilian in target countries. Cheng states this is just the beginning of the use of cyber techniques in both hot and cold warfare.

The book is well written and researched. The author is an expert on Chinese military and security developments. Chang reveals how the Chinese view information’s growing role in warfare. This book should be of interest to those interested in cyber security both government and corporate. This book should be a wakeup call.

I read this book in hardback form. It is 290 pages and is published by Prager. It was released in 2016.

[Pukhraj Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meticulously researched, intense and passionately written book. My only grouse is that, considering the dense subject matter, the author could have ended each chapter with a summary. Having studied the cyber and information warfare doctrines of various militaries, it's easy to deduce that the Chinese military strategists are so bombastic and hyperbolic that their IW doctrine may have little or no bearing on reality.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening and thought provoking. Reading this makes one understand the meaning of strategc thinking.

[Hadrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview of Chinese military integration + cyber operations doctrine, with analysis of Chinese-language documents and military, placing it within the CCP's broader strategy of domestic information control.