Security expert rules out cyber warfare
October 19th, 2011 - 1:38 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Oct 19 (IANS) Cyber war - long considered by many defence experts to be a significant threat - may never happen, a security expert says.
Thomas Rid, expert in war studies, King’s College London, argues that cyber warfare has never taken place, nor is it currently doing so and is unlikely in the future.
Rid, who specialises in cyber security and conflict and counterterrorism, said a deadly computer worm Stuxnet which apparently damaged the Iranian nuclear programme spurred speculation that cyber warfare is imminent, reports The Journal of Strategic Studies.
There have also been alleged acts of cyber warfare originating from Russia aimed at Estonia and Georgia, according to a King’s College statement.
However, Rid states that to constitute cyber warfare an action must be a potentially lethal, instrumental and political act of force, conducted through software use.
Yet no single cyber attack has ever been classed as such and no act alone has ever constituted an act of war.
“Politically motivated cyber attacks are simply a more sophisticated version of activities that have always occurred within warfare: sabotage, espionage and subversion,” the expert concludes.
- Cyber weapon Stuxnet targeted for Iran, but can be turned on US: Experts - Feb 01, 2011
- Anonymous hackers release 'decrypted version of Stuxnet worm' online: Security experts - Feb 16, 2011
- Remote controlled 'Die Hard 2 airport attack' might soon become real aviation threat: Expert - Apr 04, 2011
- Stuxnet worm 'nuclear spies' arrested, claims Iranian Minister Moslehi - Oct 03, 2010
- German thinktank advised US to "sabotage" Iran's nuke ambitions: Wikileaks - Jan 19, 2011
- Now, a possible Biblical clue to slow down Iran's race for nuke weapon - Sep 30, 2010
- Stuxnet cyber worm can nix Iran's nuke program with just a rogue memory stick - Sep 23, 2010
- Terrorists' cyber super-weapon sparks doomsday fear - Dec 06, 2011
- Mossad agents brought down Israel's Internet network two years ago - Dec 28, 2010
- Iran denies damage to nuke plant computers from Stuxnet cyber worm attack - Sep 28, 2010
- US, China engaging in cyber war games: Report - Apr 16, 2012
- India creating architecture to ensure cyber security: NSA - May 16, 2012
- Major setback for Iran's first N-plant: Report - Feb 26, 2011
- Top four cyber threats for 2011 revealed - Jan 08, 2011
- Iran to conduct cyber-security manoeuvre - Aug 22, 2011
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