30+ Years of Freedom of Information Action

Document Resources

Cyber Vault Library

A growing repository of primary documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and from other sources.

Cyber Vault Highlights: 40+ primary sources every cyber student needs
Briefing Book No. 590
May 3, 2017

From the seminal 1967 Prophecy to the latest 2017 Grizzly Steppe Hack Analysis

Research Guides

CyberWar Map

The CyberWar Map is a visual guide to some of the most prominent players and events in state-to-state cyberconflict as well as an ever-evolving research aid.

Cyber Glossary

Compilation of specialized terms to help experts and the public alike navigate the complex field of cybersecurity.

Key policy resources

US Legal Code

Selections from the US Code related to cyber security.

Presidential Orders

Selection of presidential orders related to communication and cyber policy.

Court Case Documents

A compendium of records from important cybersecurity-related legal cases.

Cyber Strategy

White House and Department of Defense documents tracing the evolution of cyber strategy in the United States Government.

Related Materials

The United States and Cyberspace: Military Organization, Policies, and Activities
Briefing Book No. 539
January 20, 2016

The focus on cyberspace has increased dramatically in recent years – as illustrated by the increasing production of documents on the subject.

Cyberspace and U.S. National Security
Briefing Book No. 424
April 26, 2013

National Security Agency Tasked with Targeting Adversaries' Computers for Attack Since Early 1997, According to Declassified Documents.

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Blog Posts

Newly declassified FOIA document discusses 2016 Obama order to fight ISIS in cyberspace

May 5, 2017

The National Security Archive Launches the “Cyber Vault”

Mar 30, 2016

When America Became a Cyberwarrior

Apr 29, 2013

The Cyber Vault Project

Featured Posting

Presidential Orders

The Cyber Vault has gathered a selection of presidential orders related to communication and cyber policy. They are a complement to other compilations on our site consisting of cyber-related...

Nov 7, 2018

Previous Postings

Cyber Brief: Opening a Window into a Critical CIA Vulnerability – the Vantage Point of a Whistleblower

Nov 2, 2018

Cyber Brief: Cyber Security in the US Legal Code

Oct 29, 2018

Cyber Brief: Digital Computer Newsletter - 1949-1968

Oct 19, 2018

Cyber Brief: Cyber Vulnerabilities in US Weapon Systems

Oct 9, 2018

Cyber Brief: Maritime Cyber Security

Oct 3, 2018

Cyber Brief: White House and Department of Defense Cyber Strategies

Sep 26, 2018

Cyber Glossary

Sep 19, 2018

Cyber Brief: DOJ's Park Jin Hyok Criminal Complaint and North Korean Cyber Operations

Sep 6, 2018

Joint Task Force ARES and Operation GLOWING SYMPHONY: Cyber Command’s Internet War Against ISIL

Aug 13, 2018

CyberWar Map in the News

By TIM STARKS, June 7, 2018

OOOH, PRETTY — If you’re looking for a database of state-sponsored cyberattacks, George Washington University’s National Security Archive has you covered. The website on Wednesday launched CyberWar Map, which offers a lovely map linking advanced persistent threats, or APTs, to the countries believed to sponsor them, the campaigns they’ve launched and the targets they’ve hit. The page for APT 29, for example, identifies it as a Russian-sponsored group that has participated in the Grizzly Steppe campaign of interfering in the U.S. election. Scrolling over to the left, meanwhile, will show that both China’s TempTick group and Russia’s Turla team have been spying on the negotiations around North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. “The complexity of the field makes it increasingly challenging to conceptualize a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the cyber-battlefield,” wrote Michael Martelle of the National Security Archive. “Therefore, the topic lends itself especially well to a dynamic graphic representation.”

This is a cool visualization tool. And a nice complement to the work we have been doing to track state-sponsored operations in CFR Cyber Tracker https://t.co/Ug1SIEh0I9 https://t.co/HMdYVrT8Gl

— Adam Segal (@adschina) June 6, 2018

Wow: The @NSArchive Cyber Vault Project just announced its launch of the CyberWar Map--A visualization of state-sponsored cyberattacks and an index of related Cyber Vault documents. https://t.co/IvZswFO8Ld

— Thomas Faith (@faithtomfaith) June 6, 2018

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About this project

The field of cyber studies is continuing its sharp upward trajectory. New cyber studies initiatives keep emerging in multiple academic and policy settings, feeding the exponentially increasing literature, and matching a new level of hyper-activity by government and the military. The field features new structures and new actors who are convening the next generation of discussions. Yet with all the growth, practitioners face major constraints on its research, teaching, public discussion, and policy development, most prominently the widely recognized problem of excessive government secrecy preventing scholarly and public access to key primary sources.

The Cyber Vault project is the latest element in the National Security Archive’s long-term commitment to monitor and illuminate key aspects of U.S. national security activities as a means of enhancing public understanding and accountability.