Cyberwarfare: What It Is and Why It Threatens Cybersecurity

The possibility of a global cyberwar in the near future has become a major concern for governments around the world, as the digital environment is increasingly relevant in global dynamics, whether social, economic, or political.

In this context, 86% of global leaders genuinely believe that geopolitical instability could lead to a major cyber event within the next two years, according to a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum.

An example of cyberwarfare already unfolding is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Although the military invasion began in 2022, Ukraine has been experiencing the consequences of Russian cyberattacks since 2014. These attacks targeted essential services for the population, the economic sector, communications, and also resulted in the leakage of confidential information.

While government organization systems are the initial targets of a potential cyberwar, the damage can affect the entire population, including businesses.

Want to understand better what cyberwarfare is and how it can threaten cybersecurity? Keep reading this article!

What is Cyberwarfare?

Cyberwarfare refers to a conflict between countries or organizations using technology as the primary weapon of combat. Most often, the main objectives are to obtain confidential information, damage systems, or disrupt essential services.

Typically, cyberwars involve malicious activities such as cyberattacks, espionage, and sabotage.

The world is becoming increasingly digitalized, and as a result, organizations, whether governmental or not, are becoming more reliant on technologies.

In this scenario, cyberwarfare functions as a modern form of conflict that uses technologies to target military, political, or economic structures.

How Does Cyberwarfare Happen?

There is no set script for how a cyberwarfare event unfolds. Typically, cyber conflicts are triggered as a reflection of conflicts occurring in the "real world."

As previously mentioned, the digital world plays an increasingly important role in global dynamics and is therefore more susceptible to possible clashes between countries or organizations.

Practically, cyberwarfare can be conducted in various ways, including the use of malware for espionage, theft of information, and service disruptions, as well as attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), phishing, ransomware, and social engineering.

One example of how cyberwarfare might occur is when a country or a group of hackers hired by a government invades the systems of essential infrastructure, such as energy grids, financial systems, or military systems.

Another way cyberwarfare can occur is through the use of false propaganda and misinformation, with the creation and dissemination of fake news or disinformation campaigns to influence public opinion and undermine trust in governments, institutions, or organizations.

Cyberwarfare: Russia vs Ukraine

The hybrid war between Russia and Ukraine might be the primary example we have of cyberspace interference in global conflicts.

As mentioned above, cyberattacks against Ukrainian systems began in 2014—well before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The first indication of cyberwarfare was an attack on the power distribution system, which led to several blackouts, leaving the Ukrainian population in various regions without electricity.

Since then, there have been numerous other cyberattacks against Ukrainian organizations, involving systems related to essential services, the economic sector, and the country’s communications.

Additionally, Russia is accused of exploiting vulnerabilities in systems to spread fake news campaigns across Ukrainian networks.

Why Are Cyberwars a Threat to Cybersecurity?

Wars in general have unpredictable outcomes. For example, who could have imagined that the U.S. would be defeated in the Vietnam War?

Due to this factor, a cyberwar can happen for various reasons, in different forms, and with numerous consequences. Therefore, it is important to consider all possibilities. After all, any institution can have its systems exposed in these conflicts, even if the main targets are government organizations.

When discussing cyberwars, it is essential to consider the entire context. After all, it is never possible to predict the extent of the damage that such conflicts might cause.

Interested in this content? You can read more articles like this by visiting the BugHunt blog!