Threat is a mirror of security gaps. Cyber-threat is mainly a reflection of
our weakness. An accurate vision of digital and behavioural gaps is crucial for
a consistent cyber- resilience - Stephane Nappo
Introduction and Background
Cyber Warfare is the extensive actions by a country or an organization based at
global networks to breach and break in the system of another nation's cyberspace
to obtain a piece of mysterious and non-conspicuous sort of intel.
Cyber Warfare
is mostly performed through means of injecting the target system with viruses
that suck out the data or transmitting any such application which would perform
the same function. Cyber Warfare involves implanting the targeted system network
with ransomware or malware and using spam messages as a medium to disable their
work efficiency.
Cyber Warfare is an example wherein a country or an organization bombards and
ambushes the other one without using any bombs or heavy machinery. The intention
herein which the attacking company possesses is that of hurting the targeted
nation.
There is no specific definition of Cyber Warfare as such but the United
States Congressional Research Service once gave it a click in defining it in
2015 as An action-based between two states which can be compared to a war-like
situation, without the use of any nuclear bombs or physical force. It is
triggered via the Cyber Space.[1]
Statistical Increment
The following data reveals the amount of Cyber Warfare and the statistical
increment in them:
- In 2013, The Foreign Bureau of Investigation notified more than several
2500 companies operating in the private field about a breach in their
confidential data.
- More than 60,000 governmental cyberwarfare attacks were recorded and
investigated according to the Cyber Warfare Statistics alone in the year of
2013.
- In 2015, hackers from China breached into confidential data of the
United States government and accessed the data of more than 3.5 million
operating employees.
- In 2017, more than 30,000 cybersecurity threats and attacks were
reported in the United States.
- Cyber Warfare statistics have revealed that more than 20% of the
cyber-attacks are targeted towards the United States.[2]
Statutory Obligations
United States
In the United States of America, there are several laws which have been
formulated to ensure that the cyberspace is protected and as well as preserved.
One of such laws is the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, 2015,[3] whose
primary aim is to eliminate the existing cybercrimes and improve the existing
cybersecurity issues which may have paved a way for the hackers and infiltrators
to intervene.
Another such act is the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act,
2014,[4] which has the main focus over improving the experience over cyberspace
and identify the loopholes in the existing laws. This law is more inclined
towards workforce development, cyber awareness, and preparedness for any such
cyberattack.
Another special law enforced for the protection and conservancy of the consumers
operating on the cyberspace is the Consumer Privacy Protection Act,
2017,[5] which aims at regulating the security of personal information of the
customers operating on the World Wide Web, and to provide a regular check on the
citizens eliminating breaches and infiltrators.
India
In India, there is one parent law which operates at eliminating the numerous
cybercrimes and cyberwarfare activities through and on the World Wide Web, it is
the Information Technology Act, 2000. Any Act of Cyber Terrorism or Cyber
Warfare is punished under Section 66F of the Information Technology Act,
2000.[6] This statute is a comparatively advanced and recent as compared to the
old statutes formulated and incorporated in the times of Britishers. The need
for this statute arose in the late 1990s when the cyber breaches and hackers
tended to dominate the Cyberspace.[7]
Instances of Cyber-Warfare and Related Attacks
Robert Tappan Morris and the Morris Worm (1998)
Morris was a college student who was enrolled and studying at Cornell University
situated in America. Morris infected and corrupted a worm through the World Wide
Web and more than 5000 computer networks were at stake.[8]
The MafiaBay Attack (2000)
Michael Calice, who was also known to run the corrupt online malpractice name,
was another juvenile who was caught tampering with the existing Cyber Realm.
MafiaBay initiated a cyber-attack over the most existent eminent online
personalities like Amazon, eBay and Yahoo, which resulted in a huge loss of more
than $1 billion.[9]
Conclusion & Recommendations
The statutes formulated in the United States and India to strengthen the
cyberspace and eliminate cybersecurity issues substantiate the fact that the
government has been inclined towards the enforcement of laws to eliminate crime
on the World Wide Web. However, it is righteously said by Bruce Schneier that
Cyber-attacks which are successfully targeted on the government system will
still prevail and be contemporary despite the government's despicable measures
taken to eliminate the same.[10]
Therefore, it is approachable and desirable for the government to work towards
the security of their data and intel stored on the World Wide Web.
Cybercriminals and hackers are always on the hunt desiring for their next
probable target. Strengthening the cybersecurity would ensure that the loopholes
of the modern-day system are not revealed to the hackers, and they end up taking
undue advantage of it.
End-Notes:
- Cyberwar: How Nations Attacks Without Bullets or Bombs, Fortune (May 12,
2018, 7:00 PM), https://fortune.com/2018/05/12/cyberwar-cyberattacks/
- Nikola Budanovic, The largest battlefield in history- 30 Cyber Warfare
Statistics, Data Prot (Feb. 03, 2020), https://dataprot.net/statistics/cyber-warfare-statistics/#:~:text=Cybersecurity%20statistics%20show%20a%20proportional,million%20increase%20compared%20to%202019.
- Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act 2015 1.
- Cyber Enhancement Act 2014 1.
- Consumer Privacy Protection Act 2017 1.
- The Information Technology Act 2000 66 cl f.
- Jocelyn M, India IT Act of 2000 (Information Technology Act), Terms Feed
(Feb. 01,
2020), https://www.termsfeed.com/blog/india-it-act-of-2000-information-technology-act/.
- The 10 most notorious cyber-attacks in history, ARN Net (Nov. 03,
2020), https://www.arnnet.com.au/slideshow/341113/top-10-most-notorious-cyber-attacks-history/.
- Ibid.
- Hardeep Singh, Security Laws, App Knox (Jan. 07, 2016), https://www.appknox.com/blog/united-states-cyber-security-laws.
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