The Best French-Language Cyber Strategy & Cyberwar Books (2026)
9 reference French-language books on cyber strategy, cyberwar and the geopolitics of the digital — from academic foundations to 2024. Honest reviews.
In short: to think about cyber as a strategic domain in French, start with Kempf's Introduction à la cyberstratégie or the recent Technopolitique by Mhalla (2024); go deeper with Bertrand Boyer's pair (Cyberstratégie then Cybertactique) and Harrel's Russia case study. For the academic foundation, Ventre's Cyberattaque et cyberdéfense remains the reference.
The picks at a glance
| Book | Author | Level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction à la cyberstratégie | Olivier Kempf | Intermediate | The reference introduction to cyber-strategic thought |
| Technopolitique | Asma Mhalla | Intermediate | The most current framing: AI, platforms, power (2024) |
| Cyberstratégie | Bertrand Boyer | Intermediate | Strategy: cyber as a theatre of operations |
| Cybertactique | Bertrand Boyer | Intermediate | The tactical level: conducting operations |
| Cyber — La guerre permanente | Gergorin & Isaac-Dognin | Intermediate | Cyber as permanent conflict, with policy recommendations |
| La cyberstratégie russe | Yannick Harrel | Intermediate | Case study: Russian cyber doctrine |
| Le cyberespace | Dossé, Kempf & Malis | Intermediate | Cyber as a new strategic domain (collective volume) |
| Cyberattaque et cyberdéfense | Daniel Ventre | Advanced | The academic foundation of cyberconflict |
| Intelligence artificielle, cybersécurité et cyberdéfense | Daniel Ventre | Advanced | The AI angle on cyberdefence |
Where to start
New to strategy? Read Introduction à la cyberstratégie (Kempf), then Technopolitique (Mhalla) for the present day. For military doctrine, follow with Cyberstratégie and Cybertactique (Boyer). For research, Cyberattaque et cyberdéfense and Intelligence artificielle, cybersécurité et cyberdéfense (Ventre).
Other French-language cybersecurity guides
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best French book to start with on cyber strategy?
- Olivier Kempf's Introduction à la cyberstratégie for the framework, or Asma Mhalla's Technopolitique (2024) for the most current take. Both are accessible entry points before the more academic or doctrinal titles.
- Is there a French equivalent of the English cyberwar canon?
- Yes — Bertrand Boyer's Cyberstratégie and Cybertactique form the closest French doctrinal pair, and Gergorin & Isaac-Dognin's Cyber. La guerre permanente is the heavyweight policy argument. Daniel Ventre's work is the academic backbone.
- Which French book covers a specific country's cyber doctrine?
- Yannick Harrel's La cyberstratégie russe is a rare French-language deep dive into a single nation's cyberstrategy — Russia's — useful for the doctrinal context behind later events.