Introduction to Cyber-Warfare - Proiect SEMPER FIDELIS

ForewordThe concept of cyber warfare has now becomea regular part of public discourse. Itdominates the contents of popular technicaloutlets such as Wired and SlashDot; it oftenappears in the more general media such asCNN, it has become a political priority inthe United States, and a major concern formilitaries around the world. But what dowe know about this new dimension of conflict?There are many pundits that wouldhave you believe that cyber warfare hasput the world on edge—at any moment,the world’s computer systems can be sentinto chaos by a clever teenager at a keyboard.On the other extreme, there are those whothink that cyber warfare is overhyped—aminor issue exaggerated by computer securityfirms and defense contractors to linetheir pockets. As with many issues, the realanswer lies somewhere in between. Whileit is true that cyber weaponry can potentiallycause great damage, we must also understandthat when these weapons are used tofurther political means, the actors in questionoperate under certain constraints—and cannotwield these hi-tech instruments withoutencountering various consequences. So thenthe question becomes how are cyber warriorsusing these weapons in a political conflict?This suggests the need to study a history ofsorts. Such a “history of cyber” is exactlywhat is presented in this book.This book is a one-of-a-kind anthology ofcyber case studies. As the cyber domain ofwarfare is very technical in nature, suchdetails, mainly regarding informationassurance, are a must. However, as the Internethas grown in a way where it touchesmany facets of our lives, studying cyber warfarein the vacuum of information assurancewould lead us to place the incidents out ofcontext. As this domain evolves, so must cyberwarriors—and these warriors will needto look at problems in this area from manydimensions. Paulo, Jana, and Andrew aretruly an interdisciplinary team, and this isreflected throughout this book. Relying onPaulo’s computer science background andmilitary experience, Jana’s expertise in thesocial sciences and violent conflict, andAndrew’s industry experience as a securitypractitioner, this book weaves together therequisite interdisciplinary threads to allowthe reader to appreciate the tapestry that iscyber warfare.“Cyber” is a hot area today and will continueto be so for the foreseeable future. Associety’s dependence on technology is agiven, its dependence on secure technologyis a must. Better understanding when, why,and how cyber war happens is the goal ofthis book—and there are already many individualsin industry, academia, policy, andthe military who need this understanding.How should a firm’s computer security personneladjust their posture in the time of aninternational conflict? What are the importantresearch questions that, if solved, willhave a great impact on the cyber domain?What is the relationship between political decisionsand technical reality? How can cyberoperations augment traditional militaryxi