Cyberwarfare

Cyberwarfare refers to cyberattacks directed at an enemy state that cause harm comparable to that of traditional warfare. Its goals may include espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation, or economic warfare. Several nations—among them the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, India, and North Korea—maintain active offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

Experts disagree on whether cyberwarfare is a meaningful term. Some argue it is a misnomer, since no cyberattack to date has amounted to war. Others contend it is appropriate for attacks that physically damage people or objects. The first known kinetic military response to a cyberattack that caused loss of life occurred on 5 May 2019, when Israel Defense Forces destroyed a building linked to an ongoing cyberattack.

Definitions vary widely. Most scholars, militaries, and governments focus on state or state-sponsored actors, but some definitions include non-state groups like terrorists, companies, extremists, hacktivists, or criminal organizations. Proposed definitions emphasize interstate use of technological force within computer networks, a combination of network attack and defense, or actions in cyberspace that threaten national security. One view holds that the attacker’s intent—whether warfare-like—determines the label. Another defines cyberwarfare as a nation-state penetrating another’s computers to cause damage or disruption, potentially weaponizing the target’s own infrastructure.

The accuracy of the term is contested. Some experts prefer “cyberterrorism,” arguing that attacks are anonymous and unpredictable. Others warn against militarizing cyberspace, noting that even severe attacks—such as disrupting a nation’s electrical grid or endangering medical care—have not triggered military action. A 2017 proposal introduced “unpeace” for highly damaging cyber actions that are non-violent but not peace-like, falling below the war threshold yet potentially causing greater societal harm than some armed attacks. This differs from the “grey zone” concept, which can include violent actions short of war.

“Cyberwarfare” is distinct from “cyber war.” Cyberwarfare encompasses techniques, tactics, and procedures that could be part of a cyber war, but it does not imply the scale, protraction, or violence typically associated with war.