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complexity

Last Chance: Communicating at the Nuclear Brink

AAR, Report

Last Chance: Communicating at the Nuclear Brink

"Last Chance: Communicating at the Nuclear Brink" outlines a vision for a novel “hotline” system that would enable secure and verifiable communications between leaders during nuclear crises and other high-stakes scenarios.
CATALINK, complexity, crisis communications, hardware, hotline, nuclear
May 14, 2020
Wake-Up Call

Podcast

Wake-Up Call

In the first episode of The Fourth Leg's season 2, we discuss the need for a better communication system between nuclear powers with Philip Reiner, Peter Hayes, Eric Grosse, Rear Admiral John Gower, and Subrata Banik.
communication, complexity, crisis communications, nuclear communications, nuclear crisis communications
May 13, 2020
China, Technology, and the Security Dilemma

Podcast

China, Technology, and the Security Dilemma

In this episode, Elsa Kania joins Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to assess how emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fifth-generation telecommunications, and quantum communications—may affect China’s NC3.
5G, artificial inteligence, China, cloud computing, complexity, NC3, quantum
September 5, 2019
The Curse of Flexibility

Podcast

The Curse of Flexibility

In this segment, Nancy Leveson joins Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to make the case that using conservative techniques and avoiding unnecessarily complex software in critical functions in NC3 systems circumvented nuclear catastrophe in the past.
complexity, NC3, nuclear command, risk management, software
July 25, 2019
Complexity is the Enemy of Security

Podcast

Complexity is the Enemy of Security

Philip Reiner is joined by guest Eric Grosse, who makes the case that for information security at extreme scales, complexity is the enemy of security. Using the example of Gmail, he calls for a return to basics. "For the very highest security needs such as NC3, we ought to return to basics and harden small-scale systems. And we ought to do it as a joint effort, even between adversaries.”
complexity, Information Security, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear communications, security
May 30, 2019
Security at Extreme Scales

Report

Security at Extreme Scales

In Security at Extreme Scales, Eric Grosse argues, "Much of the security progress over the past decade has been at large-scale, finding and patching vulnerabilities in widely used applications or defending networks of millions of machines containing high-value data. The lessons there may help military systems, but for the very highest security needs such as NC3, we ought to return to basics and harden small-scale systems. And we ought to do it as a joint effort, even between adversaries."
complexity, control, large-scale, NC3, nuclear, scale, stability, users, vulnerability
May 30, 2019
Cyber Operations and Nuclear Weapons

Report

Cyber Operations and Nuclear Weapons

In Cyber Operations and Nuclear Weapons, Jon Lindsay argues that "offensive cyber operations targeting NC3 introduce a number of under-appreciated risks of organizational breakdown, decision making confusion, and rational miscalculation in a nuclear crisis.”
accidental launch, arms control, attack vector, complexity, computer, control, counterattack, counterintelligence, countermeasure, crisis, crytographic, cyber, digital, electronic warfare, escalation, NC3, reconnaissance, redundant, retaliation, software, stability, Stuxnet, supercomputer
June 20, 2019
An Engineering Perspective on Avoiding Inadvertent Nuclear War

Report

An Engineering Perspective on Avoiding Inadvertent Nuclear War

In "An Engineering Perspective on Avoiding Inadvertent Nuclear War," Nancy Leveson argues that using conservative techniques and avoiding unnecessarily complex software in critical functions in NC3 systems circumvented nuclear catastrophe in the past. She calls for a new approach that avoids gratuitous complexity; emphasizes less, not more technology; and improves NC3 systems.
AI, aircraft, aviation, complexity, human operator, inoperability, interconnection, interdependency, isolation, NC3, nuclear, software, spacecraft, Systems Theory
July 25, 2019
Counter Nuclear Command, Control and Communications

Report

Counter Nuclear Command, Control and Communications

This report by Carol Ann Jones seeks to introduce the nuclear command, control, and stability framework; collect open source NC3 system information on the eight declared nuclear nations to fill in the framework; describe counter NC3 activities; and introduce a few alternate NC3 approaches that may contribute to nuclear stability.
anti-satellite, bias, C3, command and control, communication, complexity, electromagnetic pulse, launch authority, modernization, NC3, Nuclear Posture Review, special operation, stability, strike, supply chain, threshold, vulnerability, warhead, warning
November 7, 2019