Miao’s Thoughts

In 2003, MIT hosted a workshop focused on the scope of a new crossdiscplinary community — The Cyber Conflict Studies Association.

What is Cyberconflict?

According to James Mulvenon, the deputy director for advanced studies and analysis in the Defense Group Inc.’s Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis. “Cyberconflict is the conduct of large-scale, political motivated conflict based on the use of offensive and defensive capabilities to disrupt digital systems, networks, and infrastructures, including the use of cyber-based tools”. In other words, the battlefield of the cyberconflict is the Internet, no soldier dies because of the conflict. The attack is from invisible forces.

In the foreseeable future, large scale war will not happen around the world. But it does not mean we are safe. One characteristic of cyberattack is asymmetric which means that armed with technology, small country could also start a battle against powerful large state.

What are the possible methods for attacking?

First, someone maybe will conduct a attack to affect the economic system. America cannot afford to being attacked in the New York Stock Exchange system.

Second, our civilian infrastructure maybe attacked. For instance the attack can cause the disconnection of Internet. Because of the importance of Internet today, this will also cause huge damage.

Third, to incite the civilians through Internet. An easy way to accomplish this way is to post information against the current party or government on the World Wide Web. In China, this problem is severe. People often receive emails including URLs which direct them to some websites about the ‘crime’ of CPC. Chinese government has setup a firewall to filter this kind of websites. But the following problem is whether the government’s defense influenced the civilian liberty.

What’s more, the directest way is by attacking the military facilities. Like in a battle, the attacker can manipulate the command and thus mislead the troop and decrease the battle capability.

So, there is an urgent need to pay attention to the subject of cyberconflict. What are the possible risk of the existing systems? How can we setup powerful defense mechanisms? how can we effectively assess the damage after an information incident?

These are all related to cyberconflict studies. And I am very interested in this area, this blog wii be a track of my progress in this area.