Scades of wars have been waged throughout human history with distinct ways and weapons. Different kinds of military tools and techniques were used to sabotage adverse forces. they involve manpower, firepower, tanks , machine guns, artilleries, synchronized air , sea, and ground operations et- cetera. But, as the world has developed and developing global scenario is witnessing drastic change with regard to weapons of fighting war. New weaponries of mass destruction are being invented to undo rival states . In this course, cyberwarefare and its tools are latest in version.
Further to add, use of digital attacks like computer viruses and hacking is called cyberwarfare. In this war, countries use technology to disrupt the vital computer systems of opponent states with purpose of creating physical damage. Apart from this , they employ offensive maneuver targeting computer information systems, infrastructure, computer networks or personal computer devices by various means of malicious acts which usually originate from anonymous source.
Software, virus and intrusion devices that can disrupt infrastructures of other countries whether military defense system , communications, electric power smart grids, financial systems, or air traffic control are dubbed as cyber weapons by expert scholars. They are also put in practice for devastation, theft, stealing , alteration and espionage by hackers by hacking into a susceptible systems.
U.S , Russia , U.K , China , and Israel enjoy the top of the list who have proven their metal in this field (cyberwarfare) and they, globally, are considered cyberwarfare superpowers. Two other players who have compelled the world to entitle them as cyberwar powers are Iran and North -Korea.
Here are some precedents pertaining to cyberwar weapons used by governments to sabotage nemesis.
Chronologically, in 2006, Russian mafia group Russian business network (RBN) started using malware for identity theft. By 2007, this group monopolized online theft completely. Till September of this very same year , their storm worm was estimated to be running on roughly one million computers, sending millions of infected emails each day .
Another incident took place on august 27, 2008, Russian hackers attacked Air space station which NASA confirmed too. Three months later pentagon computers were hacked. And, cyber snake program , in 2014, that attacked the Ukraine is also believed to be Russian designed.
Stuxnet, a cyber weapon , deployed by US and Israel jointly towards Iran to disrupt its nuclear program, this was the first ever cyberwar arm used by the government in 2009. In aftermath this, Iranian valves and centrifuges turned off, equipment was damaged and uranian enrichment program effectively slowed down . flame, another powerful malware, was used (by america ) to monitor Iranian networks and collect critical information.
Inteteralia, another tragic incident occurred when, in 2012, Iranian hackers attacked National Oil Company of Saudi Arabia named as Saudi Aramco. Resultantly, this malicious move obliterated its corporate IT infrastructure and brought the company very close to collapse.
Japan-south Korea cyberwarfare in 2010, cyber attack during the Paris G20 summit, targeting G20-related documents including financial information, A six-month-long cyber attack on the German Parliament by sofacy group in 2014, assistance to Donald trump’s 2016 presidential campaign by Russian-sponsored cyber-espionage groups Cozy bear and Fancy bear with aim of harming Hillary Clinton’s campaign and boosting Trump’s candidacy are few to mention.
As a matter of fact , these cyberwarfare-champs are not only engaged in attacks abroad but are also striving to further their cyberwar capability. The Pentagon has given cyber-command equal status to nine other combats which include central command and operational command . China , too, had announced that it was unifying its capabilities to better develop cyberwarfare might. moreover, Russia , U.K, Israel, Iran , north Korea and many others are investing great deal of wealth to dubble their cyberwarfare muscle.
To encapsulate, from aforementioned antecedents, it is vivid that now, we are going to cope with full-fledged cyberwarfare in years to come which will be fought from miles away sitting in closed rooms and not with manpower and muscular strongmen fighting in the field face to face , with no fear of retaliation.
