EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The risk pertaining to cyber weapons was first described 30 years ago and that risk is now mature, according to The Atlantic.
In 1993, esteemed analysts John Arquilla, and David Ronfeldt published a pamphlet called Cyberwar is Coming. In 2014, experts started to discuss a secret digital arms race.
By 2021, the average business enterprise faced 925 cyber attacks per week and the number of cyber attacks more than doubled, as compared to 2020.
Were the analysts of the 1990’s correct? Are these attacks more interconnected than it perhaps appears on the surface? Are nations already embroiled in not-so-secret cyber wars?
Military grade cyber weapons
At present, Interpol is concerned about the potential availability of military made, military grade cyber weapons on the dark web. “That’s a major concern in the physical world – weapons that are used on the battlefield and tomorrow will be used by organized crime groups,” stated Interpol Secretary Jurgen Stock.
Information pertaining to the type of cyber weapons that may accidentally become available to hackers has not yet been released.
Davos cyber weapons comments
“On the one hand, we’re aware of what’s going on – on the other hand, we need the data, which are in the private sector,” stated Stock. He called for greater cooperation among private sector groups and law enforcement.
“We need your [cyber breach] reports. Without your reports, we are blind.”
Media reports noted that cyber weapons come in a variety of forms, and that ransomware can constitute a cyber weapon. Broadly speaking, the topic of cyber weapons received renewed attention in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Military cyber weapons market
Reports indicate that the military cyber weapons market is growing at a high CAGR for the 2022-2029 forecast period. The industry has seen significantly increased interest.
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Cyber Arms FAQs
What are cyber weapons? In physical wars, military operators use physical tactics to destroy roads, factories, power plants and other critical infrastructure. In cyber wars, military personnel use cyber tactics to achieve comparable levels of harm.
“You can shut down water pipelines to a city from a computer,” noted Gil Shwed, CEO of Check Point Software.
Is disinformation a cyber weapon? This is a topic of debate. It may depend on the precise definition of cyber weapon.
Why are governments and hackers interested in cyber weapons? In contrast with physical weapons, cyber weapons are relatively cheap, and lend themselves to plausible deniability.
“The greatest trick cyberwar ever played was convincing the world it doesn’t exist,” wrote Steve Ranger, for TechRepublic.
For more information about cyber weapons, cyber war, and what the future might hold, please see CyberTalk’s coverage of This is How they tell me the World Ends, by Nicole Perlroth.
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