Cyber Warfare: How Policymakers Should Prioritize It

CYBER WARFARE
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Cyberspace refers to the domain that exists within the information environment consisting of the interdependent network of resident data and information technology (IT) infrastructures. In the light, it includes computer systems, telecommunications networks, the Internet, and embedded controllers and processors (Joint Publication 3-12 2018, 1). Cyberspace capabilities give opportunities to the military by helping the country to gain and maintain various advantages that facilitate physical and economic security. Although the United States of America (USA) has been leading in cyberspace capabilities, China has made significant progress recently, particularly in quantum-communication technology. In that light, the nature of cyber-war has changed due to the Great Power competition. In 2019, China was ranked 27th globally in cyberspace capabilities, behind nations such as Russia, Denmark, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, Italy, and Germany (Austin 2020, 120). As such, it implies that China has weak cyber defenses.
Cyber deterrence is not entirely possible for the USA. Currently, cybersecurity threats pose a significant danger to public safety, economic growth, and national security. The technologies that empower the USA can be used to destroy and disrupt government functions and operations (McKenzie 2017, 1). Since the USA has numerous resources, the only thing the country can do effectively is passive deterrence. Indeed, it involves all actions and strategies implemented to secure technology networks and make them resilient to minimize cyber-attacks. However, regardless of the available resources, the USA remains vulnerable to cyber-attacks since its technology infrastructure can be used against the country.
Regardless of China’s world-class military and growing cyberspace capability, the country remains vulnerable to cyber-attacks. On that note, cyber deterrence is not possible for China. Based on the National Defense University (NDU), world-class means having the strength and ability to compete with the militaries of world powers (Fravel 2020, 90). For a nation to consider itself cyber deterrent, it must ensure that it has control of its technology infrastructure at all times, which is almost impossible. Information systems can be infiltrated without detection since humans are the primary controllers. As such, the people who work to ensure that these networks are safe can be used knowingly or unknowingly to comprise the systems such that they are used against a country’s expectations.
Cyber warfare can be useful at times. First, it can be used to reveal dark secrets from top official government leaders, politicians, and large corporations. For instance, in 2016, the USA Democratic National Committee’s servers were hacked and information was revealed about things that would have never been known by the public (Parker 2017, 133). Second, cyber warfare can be used to counter-terrorism. Third, it can be used to neutralize nuclear attacks. For example, in 2010, American programmers developed malware that tampered with 8,700 uranium gas centrifuges in Iran by destroying reactors’ valve pumps (P...