Cyberwarfare is a growing force in international conflict, with attacks taking various forms such as propaganda, espionage, and infrastructure disruption. Nations invest in research to develop counterattacks and defenses, prompting enemies to create more sophisticated attacks. Cyberwarfare is less lethal than conventional warfare, and military colleges offer cyber warfare as a specialization.
Cyberwar is a form of warfare that takes place on computers and the Internet, through electronic rather than physical means. Cyber warfare, as it is also known, is a growing force in the international community and many nations regularly conduct cyber warfare exercises and games so as to prepare for genuine attacks from their enemies. With a growing global reliance on technology for everything from managing national power grids to ordering supplies for troops, cyber warfare is a method of attack to which many nations are vulnerable.
In cyber warfare, people use technological means to launch a variety of attacks. Some of these attacks take a very conventional form. Computers can be used, for example, for propaganda, espionage and vandalism. Denial of Service attacks can be used to shut down websites, silence the enemy, and potentially disrupt government and industry by creating a distraction. Cyberwar can also be used to attack equipment and infrastructure, which is a major concern for heavily industrialized nations that rely on electronic systems for many tasks.
Using advanced skills, individuals can potentially gain backdoor access to computer systems that contain sensitive data or are used for highly sensitive activities. A skilled cyber warrior could, for example, disrupt a nation’s power grid, exchange military movement data, or attack government computer systems. More stealthy tactics might involve building systems that can be used to continuously collect and transmit classified information directly into enemy hands, or using viruses to disrupt government computer systems.
As with other forms of warfare, each development in cyber warfare causes nations to develop numerous counterattacks and defenses to protect themselves, and these developments prompt enemies to create more sophisticated attack options. The computer world’s arms race makes it impossible for nations to stop investing in cyber warfare research. Civilian computing actually benefits from some research, as governments can issue security patches and other techniques to civilians to protect them from attacks on the Internet and across computer systems.
For warriors, cyber warfare is significantly less lethal than conventional warfare, because people can be located away from the front lines in heavily guarded structures. Cyberwarriors are active in many regions of the world, continuously scan computer systems for signs of infiltration and problems, and proactively address issues such as propaganda. Military college students may choose cyber warfare as their focus and area of specialization, and rival colleges often stage competitive games and challenges against each other to test their cyberwarriors.
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