The Future of Cyber Warfare

The Future of Cyber Warfare

The increasing technological advancement has come with disadvantages alongside the many benefits in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of industries. Developed countries with high level of internet implementation have mentioned attacks in through the cyber links leading to loss of data, data manipulation and breakdowns. Cyber warfare is a politically motivated Internet-based attack on computerized information systems. Many nations have engaged in cyber warfare lately, “Russia, China, Iran and North Korea routinely launch cyberattacks on civilian areas, hacking private companies or undermining foreign militaries.” [1]The J-31 strike fighter created in Beijing China resulted from a Cyber hack by the Chinese military from the United States. This essay focuses on analyzing the ethicality of cyber war, prospects of cyber warfare and the preparations by the United States to counter cyber war in future.

Cyber warfare is dramatically increasing and can be a prospect of change on nation battles. Ethics involves what is right in the face of the increasing data based war. A report by an academy of science formulated some codes of ethics for cyber war and other emerging technologies.[2] Arquila mentions five policies that would be considered for a cyberwar to be termed ethical; the attack should be for the right purpose, this would be for self-defense. Due authority, this involves seeking authorization from a national agency. Last resort, this considers the final option in an unpreventable security threat. Noncombatant immunity, dealing with security of civilians and no military intervention and proportionality that involves no use of excess force.[3] Ethics in cyberwar is relevant considering the emerging policies on discourses of cyberwar.   

“The United States have the most powerful cyber Arsenal in the World.”[4] The internet interruption in North Korea on December 2014 by the United States shows the American reach in cyber war. The Department of Defense in the United States agency is instituted to defending the United States homeland and interests form cyber-attacks. The DOD objective is to seek to defend the United States’ interest and conflict involving diplomatic, military and economical. The Defense Department collaborates with other agencies formulate strategies to counter cyber-attacks.   In 2011, the Defense Department strategized to operate a cyberspace guided facility and operations to support the United States security interests. [5] They prioritized goals for the Department of Defense that were to be achieved in the next five years from 2011. They focused on creating capabilities for cyber security and operations.

The National Intelligence Director of the United States named cyberattack as the significant strategic threat to the nation. The malware proliferation that involves the use of malicious codes (soft wares) to distract and or destroy cyber operations in the United States Military database or industrial systems is highly threatening the security of information and data in the nation. With increasing cyber capabilities, the United States Defense Department is assessing the state and private actors to continue developing skills that can be used to counter cyber-attacks. 

The defense department has conducted several computer security activities in the United States. Information sharing and coordination of inter-agency activities, to ensure the advance security of the United States interests. The Department of Defense gives substantial support to agencies like Homeland Security Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other security departments with links to the United States entities and other nations. This ensures sharing of information that may be useful in identifying potential threats and attacks. This current strategy is essential to the United States ability to be enable her to defend its database against loss of confidential information in cyberattacks.

The United States have built ready force capabilities with potentials of conducting cyberspace operations, and this is to ensure that potential harm is detected instantly and necessary measures carried out to avoid great harm on the United States interest. The United States government has placed enough resources in the Department of Defense to strengthen their information network, create an active firewall to secure the agency data and instant ways of mitigating risk in the agency missions. The United States Department of Defense has built a viable cyber plan to be used in controlling conflict in all stages. The United States have robust alliances at the international level to help reduce shared threats and improve global security.[6]

The future of cyber warfare is adverse considering the ever-increasing sophisticated cyber technologies. The next war with the trends in technology will involve fighting terrorists within the civil population and outside the United States using new computerized technology. “Machines that think and learn. Miniature munitions that strike weapons with precision. Micro-networks that control swarming robots and tell soldiers where the enemy is hiding.”² The coordination of the military will be through a combat computer system. Istvan notes that “the fundamental characteristics of future war will comprise of new technology, network-based information systems, piloted stealth aircraft sensitive sensors, UAVs and GPS-equipped missiles.”[7]

The United States among other nations have potential cyber threats due to the increasing technology. In the next decades, the United States security is expected to confront increased global security instability. These would be emerging from the dynamics of the technology, and the prospects of the active role of non-state actors encouraged in the current economic environment.  The future of wars will be based on information technology, the United States forces are currently using extreme speed and robust computerized systems to do movement calculations, airflow, and simulations. The simulations will enable real pictures on whether weapons can be protected from a bullet by ceramic plates. The United States laboratory of army research claims that soon high capacity information technology will be made part of military uniforms and ground vehicles. Information technology will be omnipresent, and data processing will be quick. More data will be processed in less time.[8]

The United States seems ready to perceive and counter attacks in the emerging technology warfare. Considering the high rate at which nations are implementing technology in their forces and activities, cyber war is the worst threat countries are anticipating in future, such wars, as the network-centric warfare is very complicated to win without an active system. New sophisticated and more developed weapons are required in combatting the cyber-oriented terrorism. The United States has a duty to protect it citizens, through the Defense Department, it should continue to support and develop systems potentially viable to counter any cyber related terrorism. 

In conclusion, the United States has shown its effort in perceiving and countering cyber-attacks. However, the nation prospects extreme future technology related warfare and continued viable measures to combat future cyberattacks in necessary. The wars expected in future is viewed technology driven, and every nation has a duty to enhance its information base to be able to receive threats in advance to design ways to mitigate them.