If you scan the recent headlines, it is easy to see that international tensions have increased lately, and cyberspace is no exception.
Some say we are headed for a cyber confrontation with Russia. In fact, one of the headlines reads: "Obama administration asks CIA to prepare revenge cyber attack against Russia." One has to wonder if this was an unintentional leak or if it was done to send out a warning message.
In the same narrow period of time, another report surfaced that alleged Russia launched a "hack-proof" network. As soon as that article hit the web, the debate began on whether or not anything is hack-proof. Based on sources I've talked to, anything being hack-proof is a fantasy. While there is a lot of skepticism, it clearly indicates a concerted effort to build and operate networks that are at least extremely difficult to crack.
Will tensions escalate further? Will all of this lead to a cyber exchange between the U.S. and Russia? Where that will lead is anyone’s guess. One thing is certain: If nothing else, the war of words has intensified.
Some remain skeptical about the likelihood of a true cyberwar occurring anytime soon. Regardless of how unlikely many believe a cyberwar is, many countries have and are preparing. After all, we are all on the same internet, and disruption of the internet will have an impact far beyond the primary target. The direct and indirect costs would be astronomical and the financial implications would quickly spread around the world. That could very easily draw more and more countries into a cyberwar if one was to occur.
