The ConversationGovernments are becoming ever more reliant on digital technology, making them more vulnerable to cyber attacks. In 2007, Estonia was attacked by pro-Russian hackers who crippled government servers, causing havoc. Cyber attacks in Ukraine targeted the country’s electricity grid, while Iran’s nuclear power plants were infected by malware that could have led to a nuclear meltdown.
In the U.S., President Trump recently declared a “national emergency” to recognize the threat to U.S. computer networks from “foreign adversaries.”
Politically-motivated cyber attacks are becoming increasingly commonplace but unlike traditional warfare between two or more states, cyber warfare can be launched by groups of individuals. On occasion, the state is actually caught in the crosshairs of competing hacking groups.Read More…
