Rivalry between the United States of America and Russia in cyberspace

Abstract

Authors analyze cyberspace, a product of the rapid development of information and communication technologies, and its role and importance for leading world powers. Nevertheless, to the undoubted advantages for modern society, cyberspace has certain negative aspects regarding the state functioning. The authors emphasize that there are certain threats in cyberspace and that they are becoming more numerous and sophisticated. In strategic and doctrinal documents of many countries they are among the greatest security challenges in the 21st century. The authors explainthat cyberspace is characterized by increasing militarization and the undoubted military presence of leading world powers such as the United States (U.S.) and Russia. Further, authors develop the argument that the growing dependence and use of information and communication technologies has caused, among other things, a change in the physiognomy of modern armed conflicts. The next part of the paper is dedicated to the conflict of states in cyberspace. In the final part of the article, authors give examples of incidents between the U.S. and Russia and analyze their capability for cyber warfare. The authors conclude that both considered world powers have respectable offensive and defensive capacities for cyber warfare.