Cyberwar

Alternatively known as cyberwarfare, cyberwar describes a conflict in the virtual world or over the Internet between two or more countries.

Examples of cyberwar

Below are examples of what many believe could happen during a cyberwar, cyberterror, or cyberattack.

• Attacks (e.g., phishing and malware attacks) on financial institutions, banks, stock trading, etc. that cause disruptions, outages, or false information.
• Attacks on government or military websites to gain confidential information, disrupt, disable, or create backdoors for future attacks.
• Attacks on major utilities, such as power, water, gas, food systems, etc. that cause disruptions or complete outages.
• Attacks on an individual or collection of websites to prevent them from being accessed.
• Attack a news site or other information site to spread fake news about untrue events to cause small breakouts of false hysteria.
• Attacks, for example, a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack, on major backbones, routers, or other sections of the Internet that cause disruptions in all Internet traffic.

First known use of a cyberweapon and cyberattack

In 2010, the Stuxnet virus was discovered and was considered the first cyberweapon used in a cyberattack that targeted the Iran uranium enrichment infrastructure.

Has there been a cyberwar?

On February 25, 2022, the Anonymous group declared cyberwar on Russia after it invaded Ukraine.

Would I be safe in a cyberwar?

Although you would not likely be attacked in a cyberwar, your life would be affected. Attacks on your local power grid could leave you without power (blackout) for days or weeks or cause frequent brownouts.

You need to be prepared for disruptions to help keep you and your family safe during a cyberwar. Below are some suggestions.

• Keep your electronic devices updated with the latest updates to help prevent them from being affected.
• Store at least a week's worth of food, water, and other staples that may become unavailable at grocery stores.
• Have candles, batteries and a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), flashlights, solar panels, and other necessities for an extended power outage.
• If you take medicine, have at least a week's worth on reserve in case it cannot be supplied. If it requires refrigeration, ensure you can keep it cold in a power outage.
• If possible, store extra gas for use in generators and cars. Otherwise, keep your car near full as much as possible or have an alternative method of transportation (e.g., bicycle).
• Hide money that could be exchanged if credit card machines and banks are not working.
• Have a battery-powered or manual-powered radio that helps give you information if the power goes out.

Can people die in a cyberwar?

Yes. With people's lives being disrupted, someone could die because of a cyberwar. For example, a person needing the power to keep their oxygen machine running and keep them alive could die if it lost power during a cyberwar. However, in a cyberwar, most attacks target computers and network equipment.

Examples of cyberattacks in a cyberwar

Any or all of the following cyberattacks could be used during a cyberwar.

• DoS (denial-of-service) attacks and DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks.
• Distributing malware, including ransomware, spyware, trojans, viruses, and worms.
• Man-in-the-middle attack.
• Phishing, spear phishing, and whaling.
• SQL injection.
• XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks.
• Zero-day exploit.

Is there a cyber army?

Yes. To help defend against cyberattacks that could occur during a cyberwar, most countries today have departments (cyber armies) devoted to cyber security. These armies employ computer and security experts to help defend and if needed, attack other countries. Below are examples of some government departments.

• Albania: Military Cyber Security Unit
• Argentina: Joint Cyber Defense Command of the Armed Forces Joint Staff
• Australia: IWD (Information Warfare Division)
• Austria: Information Communications Technologies and Cybersecurity Center
• Belarus: Information Technology Specialized Company
• Belgium: Defense Cyber Directorate
• Brazil: Cybernetic Defense Command
• Canada: Canadian Forces Network Operation Centre
• Chile: Cyberdefense Incidents Response Center
• China: People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force of the PLA (People's Liberation Army)
• Colombia: Joint Cybernetic Command
• Cuba: Military Cyberdefense Command
• Czech Republic: National Cyber Operations Centre
• Denmark: Cyber Security Center
• Ecuador: Cyberdefense Command
• Finland: Defense Forces Command System Center
• France: Cyberdefense Command
• Georgia: Cyber Security Bureau
• Germany: Cyber and Information Domain Command
• Greece: Cyber Defense Directorate of the General Staff of National Defense
• Guatemala: Computing and Technology Command
• Hungary: Cyber Defense Center
• India: DCA (Defence Cyber Agency) is part of the Indian Armed Forces.
• Iran: Cyber Defense Command
• Ireland: CIS (Communications and Information Services) Corps.
• Isreal: C4I Corps and Unit 8200 of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)
• Italy: Network Operations Command
• Japan: Self Defense Force Command and Communication System Department
• Mexico: Cyber and Electromagnetic Command
• Netherlands: Defence Cyber Command
• New Zealand: Cyber Cell
• North Korea: Reconnaissance General Bureau
• Norway: Norwegian Cyber Defense Force
• Peru: Cyberdefense Operational Command
• Philippines: Army Cyber Defense Team
• Poland: National Center for Cyberspace Security
• Romania: Cybernetic Defense Command
• Russia: Information Operations Troops of the Ministry of Defense
• Singapore: Defence Cyber Organisation
• South Africa: Directorate Information Warfare
• Slovenia: Communications and Information Systems Unit
• South Korea: Cyber Operations Command
• Spain: Joint Cyberspace Command
• Sweeden: Information Technologies Defense Forces
• Switzerland: FUB (Command Support Base) of the Swiss Army
• Taiwan (Republic of China): Information Command and Electronic Warfare Command
• Thailand: Army Cyber Center
• Turkey: Cyber Defense Command
• Ukraine: The Command of the Communications and Cyber Security Troops of the Armed Forces
• United Kingdom: Joint Forces Cyber Group
• United States: USCYBERCOM (United States Cyber Command), part of the DoD (Department of Defense)
• Uruguay: Defense Informatic Security Incidents Response Team
• Venezuela: Joint Cyberdefense Directorate
• Vietnam: Command 86 (The Cyber Command), part of the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam

Botnets, Computer crime, Cyber, Cybersecurity, Ethical hacking, Hacker, Hacktivism, Infosec, Ransomware, Security terms, Trojan horse, Vulnerabilities, Worms