Devil’s advocacy and cyber space. In support of quality assurance and decision making

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper addresses urgent information needs in today’s unsettled cyber domain. Dealing with complex cyber questions decision-makers will arguably benefit from an alternative analytical point of view. Academic research has shown that decisions benefit from assessments and advice based upon differing points of view. Devil’s advocacy, which criticizes established positions, and offers alternative perspectives to any given argument based upon the same inputs, is one established instrument to try to achieve this. The paper explores analytical lessons learned within the Israeli military system as a result of the Yom Kippur war of 1973. The unexpected outbreak of war showed the urgent need for improvements in assessment and decision-making processes. A ‘devil’s advocate shop’ was subsequently set up within Israeli military intelligence. The prolonged Israeli experience with devil’s advocacy might serve its purpose in the virtual world. This requires re-transformation of the Devil’s Advocacy concept into a Cyber tool in order to protect decision-makers from cognitive pitfalls and offering them a better perspective of complex cyber issues at stake.