This graphic provides a context for looking at information warfare and information operations from a U.S. perspective. It is adapted from Robert Thompson Jr’s introductory article, Information Warfare, at DoD DACS’s home page.

The driving factors for information warfare definitions, according to DoD, are:

• Recognition of information as a strategic asset
• Role of technology during Desert Storm
• Continuing evolution of technology
• DoD growing dependence on commercial technology

These factors tend to come down on the side of technology and science. We do well to remember that information operations also involve the element of human behavior. "Supreme excellence," wrote Sun Tzu, "consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting." The "will to resist" is necessarily a human trait, and imposing one’s will on the enemy without battle remains the ideal, strategic goal of the use of military force, information operations included.

Command and control warfare (C2W) is the military application of information war. It is defined by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Chairman’s Memorandum of Policy No. 30) as "the integrated use of operations security (OPSEC), military deception, psychological operations (PSYOP), electronic warfare (EW) and physical destruction, mutually supported by intelligence, to deny information to, influence, degrade or destroy adversary C2 capabilities, while protecting friendly C2 capabilities against such actions."