hackers bringing the world to the brink of catastrophe
'No one is ready for this'
Now, cyber-attacks are on the rise and Nato's top computer experts have gathered in a military base in Estonia to prepare cyberwar defences
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And the coup de grace? Hidden programs inside the country's electricity grid might then jump to life, shutting down power supplies, creating targeted blackouts, even sending nuclear reactors into freefall.
Such a doomsday scenario might sound drastic - more of a cyber-apocalypse than a cyber-attack - but it is one that has been outlined many times by the Metropolitan Police, MI5 and the Joint Intelligence Committee. The US Navy investigator and cybercrime specialist Kenneth Geers characterises the typical response of powerful individuals as they hear this doomsday scenario outlined as a sort of unbridled terror inspired by technology. "More than one senior official said they've had so many cyber-briefings now that they don't want to turn their computers on any more," he says.
Behind the security gates and razor wire, however, this is a different kind of military operation - the unlikely frontline in Nato's attempt to prevent a global cyberwar. K5 is where the alliance's top computer experts - high-ranking researchers, academics and security specialists - work in teams to analyse potential cyberthreats, and predict exactly how Nato will fight virtual wars in the future.
Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project
Interesting article on WSJ.com today:
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Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project -- the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever -- according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks.
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Many details couldn't be learned, including the specific identity of the attackers, and the scope of the damage to the U.S. defense program, either in financial or security terms. In addition, while the spies were able to download sizable amounts of data related to the jet-fighter, they weren't able to access the most sensitive material, which is stored on computers not connected to the Internet.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html
Cyber warfare; Expansion of 4th or the emergence of 5th generation warfare?
This is the second short response for a class I am taking. Enjoy!
On April 21st, the Defense Department announced that spies hacked into the $300 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. Full details of the cyber attack may never become available to the public, but the Department of Defense quickly revealed that the amounts of F-35 data dowloaded were "sizable", and speculation places the origin of the attack in China. This cyber attack follows a chain of escalating security breaches, including Air Force air-traffic control, and the U.S. electric grid (on April 4). In the last six months, the Pentagon spent $100 million repairing damage caused by network breaches (WSJ.com).
But what exactly is 5th generation warfare? According to Thomas Hammes, the U.S. currently fighting the 4th generation of warfare—underscored by a transition from “maneuver warfare” (third generation) to targeting multiple networks (political, economic, social, and military) and making strategic goals “unachievable or too costly for the perceived benefit” (Hammes, 2006). Fourth generation warfare does not focus on the “military victory” of the first three generations, but destruction of the political will to wage war. It is from this mindset we see the new prominence of non-conventional warfare and tactics, such as violent insurgencies and transnational terrorism. This definition begs the question: “is cyber warfare a form of non-conventional warfare”
The general theme between generations of warfare is the gradual expansion of the battlefield at the expense of restrictions--for example, the dynamics of forth generation warfare include a “social” dimension previously ignored by third generation. If we look to expand the scope today’s wars, we must move beyond “physical warfare”. Thus a fifth generation may be defined by kinetic (conventional and unconventional warfare) and non-kinetic attacks on political, economic, social, and military networks in order to make strategic objectives unachievable or too costly for the perceived benefit. I believe that cyber warfare pushes the boundaries forward in such a way that makes fifth generation an inevitable reality. In spite of the addition of “non-kinetic” tactics such as cyber warfare, physical attacks will remain just as relevant as they are today—a few well-placed, heavy chains or IEDs on a high voltage transmission line can bring down the U.S. power grid just as cheaply and effectively as a hacker.
The recent surge of high-profile cyber attacks on the United States serve as a litmus test for fifth generation warfare. Congress recognizes the existence (though not necessarily the extent) of a threat, and allocated $17 billion to buffering government network security. American utility providers are also taking steps to secure technologically dependent systems. However, the symbolic nature cyber attack on the F-35 project should not be overlooked—tomorrow’s wars will depend on $300 computers as much (or more) than a multibillion dollar super jet.
Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914805204099085.html
Hammes, Colonel Thomas X., and Usmc. The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century. Zenith Press, 2006.
Information Warfare is an adjunct, not warfare in itself
The way I see it, information warfare, specifically the targeting and attack of the enemy's command and industrial infrastructure is an adjunct to other, more "conventional" forms of warfare, not a form of warfare in itself. As Selil put it, armies have been targeting others' infrastructure since the dawn of warfare.
As I see it, cyberwar isn't a form of warfare per se, it is a tactic that is used as part of a wider strategy. Its just like bombing the enemy's roads or power lines to slow his movements and reduce the effectiveness of his fighting forces.