Cyber Warfare

Cyber warfare is a relatively recent phenomenon, and has miles to go before its possibilities are exhausted. Cyber warfare consists of a series of attacks from within cyberspace, which can pose a very real threat. These attacks may seem of little consequence, but because so many individuals view, use, and depend upon the internet for daily tasks, cyber warfare can be extremely detrimental in today’s world.

Cyber warfare, as we know it today, largely consists of web vandalism, propaganda, gathering data, denial of service, infrastructure cracking, and equipment disruption. Since society has evolved so much since the days of muskets and swords, cyber warfare can often be more effective in our modern world that foot soldiers marching upon an unsuspecting enemy. In theory, those that choose to use cyber warfare can wipe out entire databases – including government databases.

Additionally, if cyber warfare is conducted upon major infrastructures such as power, water, fuel, and transportation, an entire country can be held at a standstill. In order to combat this potential devastation, many intelligence operators work in order to ensure that any suspicious internet or cyber activity is cut off from the beginning. Although these intelligence officials attempt to capture all activity, many forms of cyber warfare simply cannot be stopped. Why? The answer is relatively simple, since technology is constantly changing, no one person can predict what sort of new device any given country may devise at any given time. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to guess which country may be tapping into top secret information without intelligence knowledge.

Cyber warfare has just seen its beginning, and as more countries begin to create various forms of technology, it is inevitable that cyber warfare will become a popular means of attack. Also, if a country or military can effectively use cyber warfare against an enemy, fewer soldiers will risk their lives and many operations can be carried out largely unnoticed.