# Persistent Engagement **Domain:** Cyber strategy **Doc Type:** Developed Doctrine Node **Maturity:** Developed **Collection:** [[collections/Gamification|Gamification Collection]] ## Definition **Persistent engagement** is a U.S. cyber strategy concept centered on continuous interaction with adversaries in and through cyberspace. It treats strategic competition as recurring contact rather than a sequence divided cleanly into peace, crisis, and war. ## Significance The doctrine makes the “always-on game board” concrete. Because cyber operations can occur below conventional armed-conflict thresholds, advantage may be sought through repeated exposure, disruption, intelligence gain, positioning, and contest over initiative. Persistent engagement is related to, but not identical with, **defend forward**. The former describes continuous strategic interaction; the latter emphasizes acting as close as practicable to sources of malicious activity, including outside defended domestic networks. Neither phrase erases international law, authorization, escalation risk, or evidentiary uncertainty about attribution. ## Sources - U.S. Cyber Command, [Cyber 101: Defend Forward and Persistent Engagement](https://www.cybercom.mil/Media/News/Article/3198878/cyber-101-defend-forward-and-persistent-engagement/) - U.S. Cyber Command, [Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority](https://www.cybercom.mil/Portals/56/Documents/USCYBERCOM%20Vision%20April%202018.pdf) ## Routes [[wiki/Defend Forward|Defend Forward]] · [[wiki/Gray Zone|Gray Zone]] · [[wiki/Stability-Instability Paradox|Stability-Instability Paradox]] · [[articles/Cognitive-Cyber Warfare Measures and Countermeasures|Cognitive-Cyber Warfare Measures and Countermeasures]]