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Juliana Francis
Campbell
UWRT 1103

Cyberwar: The threat to life

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. Cyber war is when information is 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, 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 many advances in personal life

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and public companies, however there have also been cases of technology misuse. Today, 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. 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 antivirus program works. Often times a hacker is young person, experimenting in the digital world
just to see what they can do; according to BellGuard Security as the underground computer
community grew during the 80s and 90s, virus writing got more competitive and the viruses
more malicious. 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 sites to
gain money or to seek personal revenge, and this has only been the beginning.
Cyber criminals and terrorists 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 a billion active users, Instagram, with 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

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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 (Obama, Foreign Policy Cyber Security). Companies that are
popular are the most widely targeted, such as Microsoft and Apple. With the rise of cybercrime,
the threat of cyberwar continues to increase. Cybercriminals are not easy to spot or track.
Advanced hackers can slip through the cracks, 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 whether this threat
is real or something exaggerated, used as a fear tactic for the National Security Agency to gain
power. The threat posed by cyberterrorism has grabbed the attention of the public, creating small
waves of doubt and fear. But just how real is the threat?
According 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. The U.S was actually the
stepping stone towards the 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.

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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 allys oil company, 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,
the virus was nasty, it began to replicate itself 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).
The attacks of enemy countries, such as Iran, may be childish; however, the threat
posed by cyberterrorism and the potential of war has grabbed the attention of the public,
increasing 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, believes 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 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 to the Washington Post article, Cyber War
by Richard Clarke, in 2008 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, American technology is believed to be
still behind some countries, but we do have the ability to grow. One of the worlds most

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successful digital weapons 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. 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 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 The Foreign Policy, as:
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; 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

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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, have
created obstacles that hinder the nations ability to protect itself. In 2013 U.S. Defense Secretary
Leon Panetta expressed his concern over the possibility of a major cyber-attack:
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).
Many fears of the public are exaggerated; 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. According to Amazon.com over 400
books on Amazon have the title information war, and over 600 with the title cyber war, these
books have many buys and many views because people are afraid. The increasing awareness of
cyberwar threats, also raises the question: the severity of cyberwar may be over exaggerated, but
it is not unrealistic. No matter how exaggerated these claims are, the question still remains: are

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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
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

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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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Works Cited
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DVDs & More." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers,
Books, DVDs & More. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 April 2016.
Bamford, James, and Chris Schmidt. CyberWar Threat. PBS. NOVA. 14 October 2015. Video.
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Bamford, James, and Tim De Chant. Exclusive: Edward Snowden on Cyber Warfare. PBS. 08
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Bhardwaj, Kuldeep. 50 Facebook Facts and Figures. Facebook Logo. Facebook. 08 August
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Boone, Jeb. Is Cyber War Just a Scare Tactic? Global Post. Global Post. 15 May 2013. Web.
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Cavazos, Edward, and Gavino Morin. Cyberspace and the Law: Your Rights and Duties in the
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Chen, Thomas, and Lee Jarvis, and Stuart Macdonald. Cyberterrorism: Understanding,
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Harris, Shane. The Cyberwar Plan. National Journal. 2009. Web. 05 March 2016.
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