Cyber war

Cyber war is a form of war which takes places on computers and the Internet, through electronic means rather than physical ones. Cyber-warfare, as it is also known, is a growing force in the international community, and many nations regularly run cyber war drills and games so that they are prepared for genuine attacks from their enemies. With an increasing global reliance on technology for everything from managing national electrical grids to ordering supplies for troops, cyber war is a method of attack which many nations are vulnerable to.

Cyber war happens when the Internet is used to wage war in the virtual world, often with real effects in the physical world. Although generally cyber warfare refers to attacks from one sovereign state on another in cyberspace, it may also be used to describe attacks between corporations, from terrorist organizations, or simply attacks by individuals called hackers, who are perceived as being warlike in their intent. In recent years, cyber warfare has become an issue of much concern among the major nations on the planet, and virtually many militaries now has branches dedicated to both conducting and defending against cyber warfare.

Cyber war occurs in a nonphysical environment created by joined computers interoperating on a network, called cyber space. In cyber space, computer operators interact in ways similar to the real world, except cyberspace interaction does not require physical movement beyond typing. Information can be exchanged in real time or delayed time, and people can shop, share, explore, research, work or play. Therefore, cyber space is the domain on which cyber war is lunched.

In cyber war, 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, silencing the enemy and potentially disrupting their government and industry by creating a distraction. Cyber war can also be utilized to attack equipment and infrastructure, which is a major concern for heavily industrialized nations which rely on electronic systems for many tasks.

As the world becomes more networked, more crucial systems become susceptible to attacks in cyberspace. Although certain military systems remain accessible only by being present at a terminal on site, the vast majority of critical systems that control modern nations are now tied into the Internet in some way or another. While these systems are defended by high levels of security, they are nonetheless breakable, and cyber warfare concerns itself with finding weaknesses and exploiting them.

There are three major sectors targeted by most nations involved in cyber warfare: financial, infrastructure, and governmental. Financial attacks could disrupt the worlds major markets by taking down electronically-controlled commodity exchanges, or by shutting down web-based operations of major banks or retailers. Infrastructure attacks can damage a nation by shutting down critical utility systems, such as electrical grids, or by wrecking havoc on others, such as opening dams, or interfering with the air traffic control system. Governmental attacks can shut down the ability of government officials to communicate with one another, steal secret digital communications or shutting down governmental websites.

As with other forms of warfare, each development in cyber war leads nations to develop numerous counterattacks and defenses to protect themselves, and these developments spur enemies on to create more sophisticated attack options. The arms race of the computer world makes it impossible for nations to stop investing in cyber war research. Civilian computing actually benefits from some research, as governments may release safety patches and other techniques to civilians to keep them safe from attacks over the Internet and through computer systems.

In 2009 a report was released showing that the United States electrical grid was incredibly susceptible to attacks in cyberspace, which could cripple the nation by shutting off electricity for hundreds of millions of people. The report claimed that the grid had already been breached by both Russia and China, both of whom had left behind software that could be activated remotely to control the system. Although such an attack has not yet happened anywhere in the world, if combined with a conventional military attack it could prove catastrophic.

For warriors, cyber warfare is significantly less deadly than conventional war, because people can be located far from the front lines in heavily secured facilities. Cyber warriors are active in many regions of the world, continuously scanning computer systems for signs of infiltrations and problems, and proactively addressing issues like propaganda. Students in military colleges can choose cyber war as a focus and area of specialty, and rival colleges often hold competitive games and challenges with each other to test their cyber warriors.

Many critical military systems are also susceptible to virtual attacks. Satellite systems, for example, although protected by extensive security, have been breached on occasion. If an enemy were to take control of spy satellites or satellites which feed GPS data to aircraft and missiles, it could be a major blow to the military of the targeted nation.

In recent years, it has become apparent that the major military nations of the world are each devoting large amounts of energy and money to cyber warfare. China has received the most press for its programs, but reports have also surfaced about the programs of both the United States and Russia as well. Although these attacks have, for the most part, been benevolent, they are laying the groundwork for future wars which could be waged predominantly through the use of communications technology.