Cyber Warfare

Cyberspace is a battlefield in modern conflicts – and combatants must follow international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

Part of the rationale for acquiring nuclear-powered subs is to counter China’s growing military influence. But the US navy still remains much more powerful than China’s.

Contrary to popular belief, cyber security isn’t a strong point for China and this makes it particularly vulnerable to attack in wartime.

More than 5,000 documents were leaked by an anonymous whistleblower.

Beyond neutralising the cybercriminals behind the Medibank breach, the taskforce will also seek out and attack other potential threats.

Russian hackers have been attacking Ukraine for years, but with help from US government agencies, businesses and universities, Ukraine’s cyber defenses have grown stronger.

Cyberattacks can be devastating, just not on the battlefield, according to researchers who looked at 10 years of armed conflicts around the world.

From jamming satellite signals to spreading disinformation, Russia’s military has sophisticated technologies it’s bringing to the battlefield in Ukraine.

Russian information warriors have the capacity to damage critical US infrastructure systems.

Troop buildups and diplomatic negotiations highlight the threat of a major land war in Europe. In cyberspace, Russia has been attacking Ukrainian infrastructure and government operations for years.

Russia probably has the means to attack US electrical grids and otherwise create havoc but probably won’t go that far. Instead, watch for disinformation aimed at undermining the US and NATO.

At this month’s summit, US President Joe Biden warned his counterpart Vladimir Putin of reprisals against ‘persistent malicious cyber-attacks’. But it will take more than posturing to end the stand-off.

A scholar of cyber conflict sets out why retaliation doesn’t prevent future attacks, and explains what might have a better chance.

Cyberwarfare is more like cancer than bombs and bullets. Cybersecurity experts are just beginning to make their diagnosis of the Sunburst hack.

Australia is coming under sustained cyber attack by a ‘state-based’ actor, says Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as hackers try to exploit vulnerabilities in business and government software systems.

In the murky world of cyber espionage and cyber warfare, effective deterrence has long been considered out of reach. A government report argues it’s time to change that.

The wool industry was paralysed for several days after hackers held to ransom the IT system that governs almost all wool sales in Australia and New Zealand. More attacks are a case of if, not when.

Less overt than conventional military actions, cyber attacks can have dangerous consequences – especially when they target critical infrastructure systems controlled by the private sector.

Treating non-violent cyber attacks as warfare could lead to unnecessary escalation.

Countries may be forced to choose whether they side with the US or China when it comes to Huawei.

A new strategy for U.S. Cyber Command seeks to block enemies from achieving their objectives – but may not be successful, and could have unforeseen consequences.

Cyber attacks need two components – the tools to exploit vulnerabilities and the people with the expertise to deploy them.

The difference between probing and mapping and actually attacking depends on the intent of the people doing it, which is hard to figure out and may change. The dangers, however, remain worrying.

The international community should set bright line rules on appropriate responses to cyber attacks before an expansive reading of the “self-defense” clause triggers war.

Countries affected by prolonged periods of cyber warfare need peacekeeping assistance to recover.