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Cyberwar - The Next BuzzwordFiled Under: Information Security

No, I’m not for a second disputing the existence of state-sponsored cyberactivity, nor do I want to diminish its importance to our national security.

…but…

We went from the masses hearing little about cyberwar, to being bombarded over the past few weeks. Which means that somewhere behind the scenes, wrangling over responsibility and budget that had started quite some time ago is escalating, and with no doubt tied directly to the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Obama.

There is no doubt a Cyber version of the Cold War currently under way.

The cyberattacks on Georgia prior to Russia’s invasion this summer is a good example of cyber activity used in direct correlation to military action, while from an intelligence standpoint, the (alleged) Chinese compromise of the campaigns of Obama and McCain in the same timeframe is also disturbing. Whereas in the past the CIA had to dig vast tunnels under the Kremlin to obtain information, the virtual world allows for much more dramatic thefts of information without putting a single person in harm’s way.

So this week, Business Week runs an article (after running an earlier one in April of this year, in tandem with Forbes) on cyber defense, the massive amounts of money the government has earmarked for it, and how most of the funds remain unspent. All this prompts Slashdot to ask - Is there a cyberwar?

Some more reading/listening on this topic - some of it is long, all of it is worthwhile:

• CSIS Report - Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency
• Culture Mandala - How China Will Use Cyber Warfare To Leapfrog In Military Competitiveness (note: PDF download)
• NPR Interview - On Point with Tom Ashbrook covering Cyber Insecurity - audio interview with a number of government experts and journalists
• Air Force Times - Hypothetical Attack on US Outlined by China

Just to wrap things up - I think Cyberwar is becoming a buzzword. I just hope we don’t lose focus like we do with a lot of other buzzwords, because it is the most important challenge our industry will face. Just like I cringe when the companies I consult completely discount corporate espionage, I’m torn knowing that my country is overlooking a very real threat to our security for the 21st century and beyond.

Tags: cyberwar, state sponsored cyberactivity