Knowra Cyberwarfare Cyberwarfare Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber operations by states or other organized actors to disrupt, damage, or manipulate an adversary’s systems for strategic objectives.
Computer network operations : Military or intelligence activities conducted through computer networks, including espionage, defense, and attack. Cyberwarfare is one strategic use of operations conducted through networked systems.
Stuxnet : A computer worm discovered in 2010 that disrupted Iranian uranium-enrichment centrifuges. It demonstrated that malware could manipulate industrial equipment and cause physical damage.
Computer security : The practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data against unauthorized access, damage, or disruption. Cyberwarfare exploits the vulnerabilities that computer security seeks to prevent.
Cybercrime : Criminal activity involving computers or networks, including fraud, extortion, and unauthorized access. Cybercrime usually seeks private gain, while cyberwarfare pursues strategic objectives.
International humanitarian law : Rules that limit the effects of armed conflict and protect people who are not participating in hostilities. Its principles govern cyber operations when they occur in armed conflict.
Advanced persistent threat : A sustained intrusion campaign in which an operator maintains access to a target network over time. Long-lived access can prepare systems for espionage, disruption, or sabotage.
NotPetya : Destructive malware first detected in 2017 that spread globally after targeting Ukrainian organizations. Its cascading disruption showed how an operation aimed at one country could impose worldwide costs.
Cold War : A geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union from the late 1940s to 1991. The rivalry shaped strategic thinking about intelligence, deterrence, and covert action later applied to cyberspace.
Cyber espionage : The use of cyber operations to secretly obtain information from computer systems or networks. Espionage prioritizes intelligence collection; cyberwarfare may seek disruption or damage.
Tallinn Manual 2.0 : A 2017 expert study examining how international law applies to cyber operations below the threshold of armed conflict. It addresses legal questions raised by cyber operations that fall short of warfare.
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