James Jay Carafano

Digital Dominance

“In the modern world,” author James Jay Carafano asserts, “winning online could be the key to being free, safe, and prosperous—or being consumed.” In his previous book, Wiki at War: Conflict in a Socially Networked World, Carafano explored how social networks operate; how digital networks could impact contemporary national security affairs; and how to dominate the “high ground” in cyberspace. In the ensuing decade, real-world actors have put this knowledge into practice. Written as a sequel, Digital Dominance: Winning in a Socially Networked World is divided into four parts. The first explores the time from Wiki at War to now, updating the ideas and domination strategies through a modern lens as the digital world impacts the physical. The second and third parts break down both sides of the national security challenge: how to not only build an effective, powerful, and impactful network of your own, but how to take apart the networks of adversaries. Carafano concludes with an eagle’s-eye view of the environment where this digital war is playing out, what public and private sector actors are participating, and the role of emerging new technologies. Digital Dominance looks at both sides of the national security challenge: how to build networks and make them powerful and impactful, while also weakening the enemy’s. Given the growing impact of the “metaverse,” the questions raised in this book are only likely to become more crucial over time. Digital Dominance promises to guide and shape our understanding of how strategic success or failure online could increasingly predict outcomes in real time.