Threats of a Cyber Attack

Some people like to hack out of revenge. In today’s political climate – that makes sense. We are noticing more and more that the liberties they have been afforded us aren’t always for the benefit of the people. The power to vote has been something minorities were only awarded when it was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson outlawing the discriminatory voting practices adopted in Southern states after the Civil War. The fear of this country’s future political climate is a concern not only for Americans, but also internationally. “Fear of cybersecurity threats has plagued the 2016 presidential election since June when the Democratic National Committee site was hacked, with the U.S. government later determining the culprits were

Today however, a new type of warfare has emerged and occurs when outside entities conduct an attack on a power grid, network, or both with the intent of causing damage. This type of warfare is called cyber warfare. In the United States computers control everything. It is no secret that hostile countries and terrorist organizations are cognizant and they know our economy, security, and infrastructure can be crippled by a successful cyber-attack. Examples of potential targets for cyber terrorists include military bases, water systems, banking facilities, air traffic control centers and power plants. Even the Commander in Chief, President Obama has stated the threat of a cyber war is real and we must prepare for it and increase our security measures. First, this paper will discuss cyberterrorism and cyber-attacks as they pose a direct threat to national security and the economy. Then, we will review cyber-attacks against the U.S. from China, Iran, and Russia along with the impact and possible ramifications from those attacks. Finally, this paper discusses U.S. strategies to minimize the impact of cyber-attacks.

Times have changed what was known as organized crime has been replaced by Cybercrimes (Heists: Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley). Cybercrimes have risen dramatically in recent years and have become a major issue the United States and company’s face today jeopardizing as well as threatening the critical infrastructure of America (Cyberwar Threat, 2005). Sadly, the status quo of cyber security is very unstable with the advancements and growth which has put most individuals and businesses into an enormous threat (Agustina, 2015).

Clarke and Knake use a mixed method research approach in Cyber War to support their hypothesis that offensive prowess is meaningless without solid defense in cyberspace, and that the United States need immediately fix our defensive cyber shortfalls, or face apocalyptic doom. Specifically, the authors define ‘cyber war’ as “actions by a nation state to penetrate another nation’s computers or networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruption.” This infers that they are really talking about ‘warfare’ and

Cyber threats and attacks are becoming more common, sophisticated and damaging. NATO and its Allies rely on strong and resilient cyber defenses to fulfil the Alliance’s core tasks of collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. NATO affirms international law applies in cyberspace

For years, it was widely believed that the next World War would be centered on the use of nuclear weaponry. However, the development of viruses has furthered cyberwarfare, and in recent years the attention has shifted from a nuclear threat to a cyber one. Having the ability to completely, dismantle another country’s entire infrastructure without leaving your desk is clearly much simpler than using nuclear weapons. “The treat of a cyberattack is a clear and present danger to America and is more likely than a nuclear attack.” (The Hill) Even higher ranking defense officials are realizing that the focus must shift to cyberwar, instead of the traditional nuclear missiles. Additionally, the cost for cyberwarfare is significantly less than the cost of nuclear

We are facing a new threat from the cyber world which allows our enemies to attack from various parts of the world by pushing a button to inflict damage to our nation’s information technology systems. This threat is one which political figures have warned the U.S. government about for years

4. “Department of Defense Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace,” National Institute of Standards and Technology Computer Security Division, 10 July 2011, http://csrc.nist.gov/groups /SMA/ispab/documents/DOD-Strategy-for-Operating-in-Cyberspace.pdf.

Cyber-attacks are one of the most significant threats the U.S. faces today. The vulnerabilities that come with the world’s dependence on technology are a tremendous hazard to the United States. This threat is substantial enough for President Trump to designate USCYBER Command as a combatant command.19 This essay addresses how the use of cyber-attacks, as a military force, can destroy strategic targets and how Hart and Sun Tzu would view cyber-attacks. A state sponsored cyber-attack designed and executed with the intent of causing willful destruction to another nation is an act of war.

There is a new threat to the world, cyberspace. New technologies are being developed daily that threaten secure organizations. Attackers are able to take advantage of any vulnerability that they can find no matter the geological location. This threat poses risks to the economy, militaries, and governments around the world. The U.S. is at the forefront of the defense of cyber security, but with the endless number of cyber terrorists, the U.S. defense is not enough. Nations need to come together to provide a standard for cyber security that is able to be enforced throughout the world. The many different organizations provide many avenues of approach for various attackers to take advantage of the vulnerabilities in cyber defense. The only way to prevent these attacks is for the U.S. and its international partners to develop a strategy for global cyber security. Actions are currently being taken by many of the U.S. 's allies, yet there is still much work to be done. The enforcement of cyber security standards must take place in all government organizations, and similar standards should be followed by civilian corporations. This new cyber-warfare must be regulated and controlled just like any other battlespace.

Cyber security is a major concern for every department, business, and citizen of the United States because technology impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The more we use technology the more complacent, we get with the information that is stored within our cyber networks. The more complacent, we get, the more vulnerable we become to cyber-attacks because we fail to update the mechanisms that safeguard our information. Breaches to security networks are detrimental to personal, economic, and national security information. Many countries, like Russia, China, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom, now have the abilities and technology to launch cyber-attacks on the United States. In the last five years there have been several attacks on cyber systems to gain access to information maintained by major businesses and the United States Government. Cyber-attacks cause serious harm to the United States’ economy, community, and the safety, so we need to build stronger cyber security mechanisms. Based on my theoretical analysis, I recommend the following:

For thousands of years warfare remained relatively unchanged. While the tactics and weapons have changed as new methods of combat evolved, men and women or their weapons still had to meet at the same time and place in order to attack, defend, surrender or conquer. However, the advent of the of the internet has created a new realm of combat in which armies can remotely conduct surveillance, reconnaissance, espionage, and attacks from an ambiguous and space-less digital environment. Both state and non-state actors have already embraced this new realm and utilized both legal and illegal means to further facilitate their interests. What complicates cyber security further is as states attempt to protect themselves from cyber-warfare, private

PART 1A: In recent years, topics related to cybersecurity, cyberwarfare, and international law have been covered extensively within the apparatuses of both foreign and domestic policies. As of now, different scholarly experts and policy makers recommend various – often conflicting strategies – for implementing a universal policy that benefits transnationally. Because cybersecurity is the newest and most unique national security issue of the twenty-first century, one highly recommended approach – which forms the bases of many popular policies – is to require states to adopt a universal cyber warfare doctrine. Yet, subject matter experts disagree on the effectiveness of this approach by mendicating the Tallinn Manual on the International

A lot of opinions and meanings has been given to the word “Cyberterrorism”. Some of these meanings and definitions varies. In this light, Gordon and Ford (2003) are concerned that when 10 people define cyberterrorism and nine of the given answers are different, and these 10 people represent different government agencies tasked with safeguarding national assets and infrastructure, then it becomes a critical issue.

The branches of the military, for a couple generations, have always been the Army, Navy, Air force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard; however, in an ever evolving digital world, the notion that outer space would be the next military front is being rapidly replaced by the idea that cyber space will be the next arms race. The United States has been defending attacks on their infrastructure day after day, night after night, when one hacker on one side of the world sleeps, another takes their place to attempt to compromise the US government. The motives may range from a political ‘hacktivist’ trying to prove a point, to an economic spy, trying to gain a competitive edge on its more upstart rivals, to an attempt to control the United States