International security: Globalization and Cyber Security

International security: Globalization and Cyber Security
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Background
Since the advent of the internet, the world has become more interconnected and the phenomenon of globalization has resulted in increase interaction. Despite the positive impact of globalization on promoting peace and spreading political freedom, there are challenges since the threat of cyber warfare and has taken a global dimension. Technology allows dispersion of information better than before, and the transnational threats from proliferation of weapons that can be trafficked to cyber warfare that can be waged with the click of a button. In the information age, cyber defense is crucial to maintaining the cyber infrastructure, whereby attacks can disable the security seemed placing the U.S. in a more vulnerable position. cyber attacks on private businesses has garnered interest in the media, but the compromise on national security presents a bigger challenge that has ramifications on the ability of the government to protect the country form external attacks.
Challenges of Globalization and Cyber Security to international security
Cyber war will gain more prominence in the coming decades, since the nation–states are increasing using cyber warriors to launch attacks on other countries. Cyber attacks that affect national security focus on disrupting the cyber networks, banking system, rail transportation to electric grids to disrupt services and cause damage. For instance, in 2009, the Israeli conducted an attacked on Syria by first disabling the radar system, by disabling the computer system, meaning that the Syrians did not detect there had been a breach on their air defense radar system. To further highlight the challenges posted by compromised cyber security systems are instances where the systems are disabled to the extent that countries cannot access internet information, and Russia has resulted to this tactic in Georgia its former Soviet Union republic with the aim of destabilizing the government before launching attacks on Georgia’s breakaway regions.
The information infrastructure and telecommunication network in the U.S is critical to maintaining national security, and it is used by the government, organizations and the citizens. It is worrisome that malicious elements have the ability to openly attack network systems and breach security. The interconnectivity off the world through computer networks has a downside, since cyber terrorists can coordinate attacks on high value targets in preparation for further attacks on network systems. The challenge with improving cyber security is that often there are vulnerabilities that may not be detected in time. In cases where there is intelligence point to state actors being the source of cyber attacks, any sort of data breach may already have provided critical data.
The nation- state has historically exercised more power in international relations, but the changing dynamics with more transnational and non state actors highlights the changes for the state to maintain national security. In any case, the U.S. now integrates soft power especially using diplomacy to reduce security threats unlike before where hard power that focuses on military m...