A 0 and 1 War: Cyber ​​Attacks Become a New Military Strategy

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From: Futurism

Author: Abby Norman Tong

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Review: Xue Yaqin

The Fifth Field of War

In the months leading up to the 2016 U.S. election, the Democratic National Committee was hacked, and sensitive documents were leaked online. Fake news spread rapidly across social media platforms, creating a wave of misinformation that influenced public perception. This marked one of the first large-scale cyberattacks targeting the democratic process.

But is this considered a war? In its most basic definition, cyber warfare refers to a nation-state launching an attack on another country’s digital infrastructure. These kinds of threats are what Samuel Woolley, director of research at the Digital Intelligence Lab, calls “computational propaganda.” He describes it as a politically motivated campaign of false information, designed and distributed through algorithms, automation, and human coordination—often via social media. In an interview with *Futurism Technology*, Woolley emphasized that these attacks target the core pillars of democracy: free press, open society, privacy, and fair elections.

Such attacks could signal a new era in warfare—one where digital battles are more subtle, pervasive, and damaging than traditional conflicts. Unlike the Pearl Harbor attack or 9/11, these wars may not be immediately visible but can have long-term consequences on society and governance.

Our understanding of war, its origins, and tactics is evolving. The lines between cyber threats and physical territorial threats are blurring. As Adriana LaFron wrote in *The Atlantic*, cyber warfare should be seen as a legitimate form of conflict.

A War of 0s and 1s

More than a decade ago, the U.S. Cyber Command began developing a digital weapon known as Stuxnet—a malicious computer worm that is believed to be the world's first cyber weapon. According to *The New York Times*, it was initially used to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. While the U.S. government has never officially confirmed its involvement, Israel is widely believed to have collaborated on its development.

Stuxnet exploited zero-day vulnerabilities—security flaws that are unknown to the software developers. It silently infected systems without user interaction, spreading through Windows networks globally. To reach its target, attackers infected computers outside of Iran’s network, using them as carriers to infiltrate the Iranian system.

As its impact became clear, analysts recognized Stuxnet as the first known example of a cyber weapon. Like traditional warfare, the goal of cyber conflict is to identify and exploit weaknesses. Nations invest heavily in gathering intelligence on other countries, targeting influential individuals in governments and societies. These figures can be manipulated to shift public opinion on key political or social issues.

Gathering data on economic conditions, health, and media habits in other countries has long been a standard practice in intelligence operations. If a nation identifies which groups are most vulnerable, it can launch targeted cyber attacks. Historically, spies risked their lives to steal files from embassies or institutions. Now, with the internet, such information can be accessed almost instantly.

With the right tools, hackers can break into digital systems, extract data, and decode it in minutes rather than years. This efficiency makes even James Bond seem outdated. In 2011, then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned of a potential “Network Pearl Harbor,” where an enemy could shut down power grids or disrupt critical infrastructure like train systems.

By 2014, the U.S. had experienced 61,000 cybersecurity breaches, and the National Intelligence Director labeled cybercrime as the top security threat that year. From computer viruses to denial-of-service attacks, the fifth domain of warfare is still evolving. Cybercrime is now common in banks, hospitals, and universities. But if the core of a functioning society is attacked, the damage could be catastrophic.

Countries are still keeping their cards close, so it's unclear which nations are capable of launching the largest cyber attacks. For the U.S., Russia is considered the biggest threat. It has shown both the ability and intent to conduct digital warfare. Its influence during the 2016 U.S. election was significant, but this type of warfare remains largely unregulated.

Without a Geneva Convention or binding treaties, there is no clear framework for how countries should respond to cyber attacks. Leaders must consider the impact on everyday citizens and how these attacks affect national stability. Currently, there is no established rulebook for when or how to respond to cyber threats.

If those in power benefit from cyber attacks, or even plan them, there may be little incentive to retaliate. This lack of accountability only worsens the situation. If cyber warfare is still a “wild west,” ordinary people will suffer the most. Our culture, economy, healthcare, and communication all depend on the internet. Imagine a scenario where an enemy uses ransomware to freeze bank accounts, shut down hospitals, and prevent emergency response—creating chaos and fear.

As cybersecurity expert Alexander Klimberg explained to *Vox*, a comprehensive cyber attack on infrastructure could be “equivalent to a solar flare”—devastating and unpredictable.

A New Military Strategy

In the summer of 2016, a group called “Shadow Brokers” began leaking confidential NSA cyber weapons, including tools under active development. The agency remains uncertain whether the breach came from insiders or foreign actors. Regardless, it marked one of the most serious security failures in U.S. history.

Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, compared the leak to “stealing a Tomahawk missile from the military.” He criticized the U.S. government for failing to protect critical information. The last major breach of this nature was Edward Snowden’s 2013 leaks, but experts argue that the Shadow Brokers’ leaks were even more dangerous.

Earlier this year, the WannaCry ransomware virus spread globally, affecting Chinese universities and British hospitals. In April, telecommunications company IDW suffered a similar attack. The CEO realized that this wasn’t just a typical cyberattack—it involved stealing not only data but also the keys needed to access it. This allowed hackers to monitor who had access, making the attack far more invasive.

WannaCry and the Vanguard attack both relied on stolen NSA tools. They used the “Eternal Blue” vulnerability to exploit unpatched Microsoft servers. The attack on Vanguard also used “Double Pulsar,” a tool that allows hackers to infiltrate systems without triggering alerts. These weapons are powerful and hard to detect, leaving governments scrambling to respond.

As one executive told *The New York Times*, “You can’t catch it; it happens right in front of our eyes.” He concluded, “This world is not yet ready.”

The Best Defense

While many feel powerless against the growing threat of cyber warfare, the best defense starts with individuals. Dr. Eric Cole, a cybersecurity expert, told *Futurism Technology* that the first step is to recognize the real and present danger. For the average person, the best protection is knowing where personal information is stored and backing it up locally.

Even cloud services, often touted as secure, can be vulnerable to attacks that target the infrastructure supporting them. As Cole noted, “We tend to publish too much and digitize everything. But you should ask yourself: Do I really want to share this?”

Some experts argue that small-scale cyber attacks against corporations or citizens shouldn’t be classified as acts of war. Professor Thomas Reed of Boston University said that the term “war” implies government involvement, resource allocation, and escalating tensions. Small attacks might not meet these criteria and could even backfire, as local authorities may be more prepared to respond.

As humans evolve, so do the methods we use to destroy each other. The internet has introduced a new kind of warfare—one that is quiet, fast, and hard to trace. It involves remote attacks, anonymized operations, and the use of drones, robots, and artificial intelligence in military strategies.

Cyber warfare is different from nuclear weapons. Countries secretly develop nukes, and if they are deployed, civilians often suffer the most. There is a concept of “mutual assured destruction” that deters escalation. Could something similar apply to digital warfare?

We can predict technological progress, but we cannot always predict how humans will use it. Airplanes were created to fly, but they’ve also been used to drop bombs. The same applies to the internet—its power lies in how we choose to wield it.

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