Chapter 83 - Cyber Warfare

Abstract

The time we live in is called the Information Age for good reason: information is probably worth much more than any other commodity. Globalization, the other important phenomenon, has taken the value of information to new heights. On the one hand, citizens of a country now may feel entitled to know exactly what is happening in other countries around the globe. On the other hand, the same people can use the Internet to mobilize forces to overthrow the government in their own country. To this end, the capabilities of the Internet have been put to use and people have become accustomed to receiving information about everyone and everything as soon as it becomes available. The purpose of this chapter is to define the concept of cyber warfare (CW); discuss its most common tactics, weapons, and tools; compare CW terrorism with conventional warfare; and address the issues of liability and available legal remedies under international law. To have this discussion, a proper model and definition of CW first needs to be established.