Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 11, 2026] Lewis & Montgomery on New National Cyber Strategy
Mar 11, 2026
Dr. Jim Lewis, a national security and tech strategy expert, and Mark Montgomery, a cybersecurity policy and defense adviser, unpack the new U.S. National Cyber Strategy. They debate its short length and offensive tilt. They probe why China and Russia go unnamed, worry over hollowed federal cyber teams, and weigh private sector roles, CMMC, and the Pentagon’s spat with Anthropic.
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Use Executive Orders To Force Implementation
- Use executive orders for implementation because they carry presidential authority and reduce interagency gridlock.
- Mark recommends multiple executive orders rather than a bureaucratic interagency implementation plan to speed action.
Not Naming China And Russia Undermines Deterrence
- The strategy fails to name principal cyber adversaries, which weakens deterrence and clarity of priorities.
- Jim Lewis and Mark Montgomery warn that not naming Russia and China undermines deterrent messaging and may reflect political tradeoffs.
Deterrence By Denial And Rapid Recovery
- Deterrence should lean on denial and resilience: harden networks and improve rapid recovery rather than rhetorical threats.
- Mark urges faster attribution and investments in recovery so adversaries learn costs quickly.