A Cyber War

Technology has brought us closer together in new ways, but it has also exposed us to new threats that we are only now becoming aware of. In a world full with internet-connected devices, practically everything can be hacked. From computers to refrigerators and even airplanes. Computers and electronic gadgets have become ordinary items in our everyday lives; they are so crucial that we would be unable to function without them. As a result, they are an ideal target for those who intend to cause harm.

 It is reasonable to assume that we value our privacy and belongings, given that they are our own possessions, but imagine if our very own government was hacked. There are several reasons why you might hack governments, including stealing intellectual property or getting a jump in trade talks.

Wikileaks published over 33,000 pages of emails from John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, in October 2016.

Hackers thought to be from the Russian government infiltrated the

Democratic Party which resulted in two prominent party officials resigning.  It

may be argued that the hackers essentially utilised the material they found as a "weapon", making it accessible to the public via wikileaks, in order to inflict on the American political agenda.

When the United States developed Stuxnet, one of the most lethal cyber weapons ever deployed, it was used against Iran's nuclear programme. A extremely risky piece of code caused the centrifuges at Iran's nuclear complex to spin out of control, allowing them to destroy hundreds of them before any of the operators realised what was going on.

What made Stuxnet so different was that it didn't just stick to the invisible battlefield of the cyber world, it caused physical damage. The same software used for the nuclear station can also be found in power grids, and so can affect the power supply, wifi and other facilities, causing big cities to be cut off from electricity, which could cause mass panic and a shut down of everyday life. Stuxnet was widely regarded as the first true recorded evidence of cyber warfare, prompting other governments to reproduce and mimic it.

Overall, it is critical to recognise the potential of cyber warfare and to anticipate that the future of warfare will most likely, no soldiers in a battleground, but rather the infiltration of very important government facilities such as the military, which could cause the downfall of a nation in seconds, while also being less expensive and easier to implement.

Noor Munawar