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Juliana Francis
Campbell
UWRT 1103

Cyberwar: The threat to life

In order to understand cyberwar and the threat it poses, you must first understand
cybercrime. Cyber Imagine a world completely decimated, buildings destroyed, crumbling to the
ground as if made from paper. Imagine the world littered with rubble, and undetonated bombs,
families, split up, lost, and destroyed. Now imagine if anyone had the power to do this with just
the push of a button. No longer do enemies have to send out armies to do this dirty work, all they
have to do is hack into our nations computer system, steal our information, tear down our
defenses, and destroy us. This is cyberwar, but just how real is cyberwar? Has the media hyped it
up more than it really is? In order to understand cyberwar and the threat it poses, you must first
understand cybercrime.
Cybercrime, as defined by Dictionary.com is crime conducted via the Internet or some
other computer network; cyberwar is The use of
computers and other devices to attack an enemy's information systems as opposed to an enemies
armies or factories. According to Cyberterrorism: Understanding, Assessment and Response,
cyber-related crimes were introduced in the 1980s as the intentional abuse of a digital
information system (Cyberterrorism: Understanding, Assessment and Response).. Cyber war is
the threat that eventuallywhen information can be leakedis spread electronically from one nation
and spread throughout another; warring nations will have the ability to steal information digitally
and use it to stay one step ahead. Richard A. Clarke, in his book Cyber War (May 2010),,
defines "cyberwarfare" as "actions by a nation-state to penetrate another nation's computers or
networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruption.. Technology has brought with it

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many advances in personal life and public companies, however there have also been cases of
technology misuse. Today, and with the growth of personal computers, we are able to share
information and access information from all over the world. This access to information has
tempted many capable programmers to seek the information and data that belongs to someone
other than themselves.
This new era of technology has opened doors that many people jump at the chance to
pass through; and with this temptation, we have coined the term hacker for those who
participate in criminal activities; a hacker. The threat to computer safety has become extremely
large,; when you hear the word hacker, you think of vicious criminals who hack into your
computer system to steal your information, your identity, and overall ruin your life. Sometimes,
though not as often, a hacker is a company employee, just trying to see if their companys
computer anti-virus program works. Often times a hacker is young person, experimenting in the
digital world just to see what they can do; Asaccording to BellGuard Security as the
underground computer community grew during the 80s and 90s, virus writing got more
competitive and the viruses more malicious (BellGuard Security).. The art of virus writing
became more of a sport to most college students. The act is more dangerous now than it has ever
been before. In fact, now with the increase of social media, hackers and cybercriminals have a
large playing field. These criminals exploit sitesites to gain money or forto seek personal
revenge, and this ishas only been the beginning.
Cyber criminals and terroristterrorists can distribute information through websites,
viruses, and social media accounts to create propaganda, and gain support to wage internet
warfare. The ability to create a large network of supporters is an important key in any war;
networks such as Facebook, with more than 650 milliona billion active users, Instagram, with

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over 300 million active monthly users and many other sites such as Twitter, Snapchat and Kik.
Social media sites can be a strong tool in starting a group intent to carry out the same agendas.
Movements and groups can create pages, slowly gaining support from followers and in turn
gaining a support network. These criminals can set meeting places or host online chats; if the
support group is large enough, with active supporters, groups can become more and more violent
and start affecting the public.
Advanced hackers have begun targeting big companies with larger quantities of money.
Hacking is sometimes coined as one of the most serious and economic and national security
challenges we face as a nation (Barack Obama)., Foreign Policy Cyber Security). Companies
that are popular are the most widely targeted, such as Microsoft and Macintosh; withApple. With
the rise of cybercrime, the threat of cyberwar continues to increase. Cybercriminals are not easy
to spot or track, advanced. Advanced hackers can slip through the cracks and, hack into banking
accounts, traffic lights, power stations, radios, etc. By hacking the things we use every day,
hackers can shut us, as a nation, down, electronically. The possibility of cyberwar has brought
out the issue of weatherwhether this threat is real or something exaggerated, used as a fear tactic
for the NSANational Security Agency to gain power. The threat posed by cyberterrorism has
grabbed the attention of the public, creating small waves of doubtfulnessdoubt and fear. But just
how real is the threat?
AlreadyAccording to James Bamford and Chris Schmidt, authors of CyberWar Threat,
the already, highly sophisticated, stealthy computer programs such as the notorious Stuxnet
worm can take over and even destroy the control systems that regulate everything from food
factories to gas pipelines, power plants, and chemical facilitieseven our cars (James Bamford
and Chris Schmidt, CyberWar Threat).. The U.S was actually the stepping stone towards the

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possibility of cyberwar. We currently have cyber weapons such as cruise missiles, drones, and
other military weapons; that can be detonated with just the push of a button, these weapons are
considered cyber weapons because there is no need for a person to manually set these off, they
could set it off through the safety of a computer screen. These weapons can be places in
strategical areas and set off from the other side of the world if need be. Before cyberwar really
became a threat, the Iranians were so far behind the U.S and other countries that when they
targeted a U.S alliesallys oil companies, they sent whatscompany, it was with a virus so
mediocre that Edward Snowden, author of Cyber Attacks, called it a wiper virus, which is
actually sort of a Fisher Price, babys first hack kind of a cyber-campaign. Its not sophisticated.
Its not elegant but It then replicates, the virus was nasty, it began to replicate itself
automatically across the internal network, and then it simply erases all of the machines. So
people go into work the next day and nothing turns on. And it puts them out of business for a
period of time (Edward Snowden, Cyber Attacks). ).
The attacks of enemy countries, such as Iran, may be childish; however The, the threat
posed by cyberterrorism and the potential of war has grabbed the attention of the public, creating
small waves of doubtfulness andincreasing the publics fear. A quote from Giles Trendles
Cyberwar states that Ehud Tenenbaum, an Israeli hacker who gained notoriety in 1998 when he
broke into the US Pentagon computer, believebelieves the Arab-Israeli cyberwar is going to
reignite. The U.S militarys computers have been often attacked by Chinese hackers. It is
possible that the attacks occur so often because of Chinas advancement in modern technology
(including weapons), it). It is not only China making moves. In 2007, Russia had suspected a
mass botnet invasion of Estonia, the nations largest bank, Hansabank, took a huge hit;
according. According to the Washington Post article, Cyber War by Richard Clarke, in 2008

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Russia allegedly deployed an electronic version of the Dirty Dozen, shutting down Georgian
government Web series and cutting off news from outside. The Dirty Dozen acted as a blocker,
turning off the web series and proving how easy it was for the to turn off our stations.
This threat is real, but how is the nation preparing to protect itself and its people? For
years America has been taking precautionary measures, as a nation, ourAmerican technology is
not the greatestbelieved to be still behind some countries, but we do have the ability to grow.
One of the worlds most successful digital weaponweapons was introduced in 2010,; Stuxnet, a
worm that attacked Iran's uranium enrichment facility and temporarily stopped its ability to
produce more. This kind of cyberattack demonstrates the immense power that the U.S possesses,
and their ability to attack nations without dropping a bomb or deploying soldiers. (BellGuard
Security).
Stuxnet was different from other viruses, it targeted computers and instead. Instead of just
stealing valuable information, it targeted computers, wormed its way into cyberspace and
attacked, physically destroying computers and the equipment the computers controlled. Newer
versions of Stuxnet have two new ways to spread than just a simple programming code; the. The
newer versions of Stuxnet can spread through infected USB drives or by local networking sites.
Though it is undetermined how long exactly Stuxnet took to destroy its target after infecting their
machines, it is understood how disastrous the outcome worked. Stuxnet did precisely what it was
supposed to do.: the worm targeted computer systems and allowed its controllers to spy and
control the industrial systems of Irans nuclear-fuel plants. For years America had been ignoring
the growing problem of cybercrime, but no longer!
On February 12, 2013, President Obama signed Executive Order 13636, Improving
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, his reasoning being stated in theThe Foreign Policy,

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Obama statesas: Americas economic prosperity, national security, and our individual liberties
depend on our commitment to securing cyberspace Obama was aware of the nations risk
from threats in cyberspace, and our economys eventual harm. Hackers with the ability to gain
access to important U.S documents, and access to the militarys information systems stole
valuable information. The threats pointed towards the U.S are serious and they continue to grow
as an issue, hoever; however, if addressed correctly, we can ensure that the Internet remains an
engine for economic growth and a platform for the free exchange of ideas. says Obama in The
Foreign Policy. The protection of the nation is one of Americas greatest security agendas. The
massive growth of technology, and the increasing amount of internet users who are not cautious,
hashave created obstacles that hinder the nations ability to protect itself. In 2013 U.S. Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta. Expressed expressed his concern over the possibility of a major cyberattack. :
Cyberspace is the new frontier, full of possibilities to advance security
and prosperity in the 21st century. And yet, with these possibilities, also
come new perils and new dangers. The Internet is open. It's highly
accessible, as it should be. But that also presents a new terrain for warfare.
It is a battlefield of the future where adversaries can seek to do harm to
our country, to our economy, and to our citizens I know that when people
think of cybersecurity today, they worry about hackers and criminals who
prowl the Internet, steal people's identities, steal sensitive business
information, steal even national security secrets. Those threats are real and
they exist today (The Foreign Policy).

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Many fears of the public are exaggerated, even so; yet, the potential threat is extremely
realistic and seems likely to continue to increase over the years, making it excessively important
to address the danger without manipulating it or using it as a fear booster. The American public is
extremely concerned with the welfare of the people and the country; amateur authors use the idea
of threats and war to gain popularity and to sell their books. OverAccording to Amazon.com over
400 books on Amazon have the title information war, and over 600 with the title cyber war,
these bookbooks have many buys and many views because people are afraid. The increasing
awareness of cyberwar threats, also raises the question: if cyberterrorism is grosslythe severity of
cyberwar may be over exaggerated, but it is not unrealistic. No matter how exaggerated these
claims are, the question still remains: are we prepared to protect ourselves in case of emergency?
These threats are real and very serious,; the internet is not as safe as many people have come to
believe.
Technology has brought with it many advances in personal life and public companies.
Cyber-criminals and terrorists can distribute information through websites, viruses, and social
media accounts to create propaganda, and gain support to wage internet warfare. Is cyberwar
reality or hype? The answer is both. The act of cyberwarfare is very real, the possibility of such a
war can happen at any moment, right under our noses. Cyberwar is also used as a scare tactic to
gain control, power, and money.
Cyberwarfare can be used to threaten the economy, such as banks, ATMs and personal
property like computers and electronics; this possibility can be used to target the public and
cause widespread panic. If the public is panicked, then authors could write more on the topic and
create realistic solutions that would make the public interested in buying their works. If the
public is afraid, then any official running to be elected can target that fear and talk on all they

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would do to stop this impending war. In an article for the Global Post, Jeb Boone wrote, Its
hard to know how justified the concern really is. There is clearly a threat but its difficult to
evaluate that threat, making it hard to evaluate their response to the threat as well, and he is
right. We really dont know just how real this information is, and that leads to unanswered
questions about the laws of cyberwar, the possibility of cyberwar, and who has the power to
wage such a war. It is fascinating to look at but it is still a problem. This element of fear is being
used against us, but fear is not always a bad thing, fear prepares a person for what may come.
There may come a day when an enemy nation decides to press a button and hack
America. No warning, no army rushing in and giving us just a bit of time to think about fighting
back. Our defenses could be torn down in second, our modern life would be completely
destroyed, unless we find a way to fight back. The possibility pf cyberwar may not be extremely
serious at the moment, but there may come a day where its right around the corner, and how will
this nation prepare itself? How can we fight what we cant see coming?

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