Howard Anthony Schmidt (October 5, 1949 – March 2, 2017) was a partner with Tom Ridge in Ridge Schmidt Cyber LLC, a consultancy company in the field of cybersecurity. He was the Cyber-Security Coordinator of the Obama Administration , operating in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. He announced his retirement from that position on May 17, 2012, effective at the end of the month.
101-402: Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state , causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems . Some intended outcomes could be espionage , sabotage , propaganda , manipulation or economic warfare . There is significant debate among experts regarding the definition of cyberwarfare, and even if such a thing exists. One view is that
202-524: A Master of Arts degree in organizational management (1998) from the University of Phoenix . He also holds an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters. Schmidt's certifications include CISSP and CISM . He was a professor of practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology 's GTISC , professor of research at Idaho State University , adjunct distinguished fellow with Carnegie Mellon 's CyLab, and
303-426: A denial-of-service attack ) rather than integrity (modifying data) or confidentiality (copying data without changing it). State actors are more likely to keep the attack secret. Sophisticated attacks using valuable exploits are more less likely to be detected or announced – as the perpetrator wants to protect the usefulness of the exploit. Evidence collection is done immediately, prioritizing volatile evidence that
404-690: A strategic level . Potential targets in internet sabotage include all aspects of the Internet from the backbones of the web, to the internet service providers , to the varying types of data communication mediums and network equipment. This would include: web servers, enterprise information systems, client server systems, communication links, network equipment, and the desktops and laptops in businesses and homes. Electrical grids , financial networks, and telecommunications systems are also deemed vulnerable, especially due to current trends in computerization and automation. Politically motivated hacktivism involves
505-608: A US drone in the Strait of Hormuz . In addition to retaliatory digital attacks, countries can respond to cyber attacks with cyber sanctions . Sometimes, it is not easy to detect the attacker, but suspicions may focus on a particular country or group of countries. In these cases, unilateral and multilateral economic sanctions can be used instead of cyberwarfare. For example, the United States has frequently imposed economic sanctions related to cyber attacks. Two Executive Orders issued during
606-693: A board member for the CyberCrime Advisory Board of the National White Collar Crime Center, and was a distinguished special lecturer at the University of New Haven , Conn., teaching a graduate certificate course in forensic computing. He has also taught courses for the FBI and DEA on the use of computers and law enforcement investigations. He served as an augmented member to the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology in
707-514: A breach are usually a negative externality for the business. Critical infrastructure is that considered most essential—such as healthcare, water supply, transport, and financial services—which has been increasingly governed by cyber-physical systems that depend on network access for their functionality. For years, writers have warned of cataclysmic consequences of cyberattacks that have failed to materialize as of 2023 . These extreme scenarios could still occur, but many experts consider that it
808-613: A company or group. The idea of a "cyber Pearl Harbor " has been debated by scholars, drawing an analogy to the historical act of war. Others have used "cyber 9/11 " to draw attention to the nontraditional, asymmetric, or irregular aspect of cyber action against a state. There are a number of reasons nations undertake offensive cyber operations. Sandro Gaycken [ de ] , a cyber security expert and adviser to NATO , advocates that states take cyber warfare seriously as they are viewed as an attractive activity by many nations, in times of war and peace. Offensive cyber operations offer
909-465: A compelling interest in finding out whether a state is behind the attack. Unlike attacks carried out in person, determining the entity behind a cyberattack is difficult. A further challenge in attribution of cyberattacks is the possibility of a false flag attack , where the actual perpetrator makes it appear that someone else caused the attack. Every stage of the attack may leave artifacts , such as entries in log files, that can be used to help determine
1010-680: A cyber attack on the Georgian government website, which was carried out along with Georgian military operations in South Ossetia. In 2008, Chinese "nationalist hackers " attacked CNN as it reported on Chinese repression on Tibet . Hackers from Armenia and Azerbaijan have actively participated in cyberwarfare as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , with Azerbaijani hackers targeting Armenian websites and posting Ilham Aliyev 's statements. Jobs in cyberwarfare have become increasingly popular in
1111-491: A cyberattack. Howard Schmidt One of Schmidt's leading policy objectives was the development of "National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace", which sought to enable private industry to create electronic identities that can be relied upon in cyberspace similar to the way that businesses rely on the combination of driver's licenses and credit cards to authenticate identities in physical space. Prior to joining
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#17329140770631212-484: A data breach, criminals make money by selling data, such as usernames, passwords, social media or customer loyalty account information, debit and credit card numbers, and personal health information (see medical data breach ). This information may be used for a variety of purposes, such as spamming , obtaining products with a victim's loyalty or payment information, prescription drug fraud , insurance fraud , and especially identity theft . Consumer losses from
1313-659: A distinguished fellow with the Ponemon Institute. Schmidt began his government service in the United States Air Force in 1967, where he studied chemical weapons, high explosives, and nuclear weapons while attending munitions school. Between 1968 and 1974, Schmidt completed three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War . He left active military duty in 1974, then started his civil service career at
1414-441: A form of warfare are likely to violate the prohibition of aggression. Therefore, they could be prosecuted as a crime of aggression . There is also agreement that cyberattacks are governed by international humanitarian law , and if they target civilian infrastructure, they could be prosecuted as a war crime , crime against humanity , or act of genocide . International courts cannot enforce these laws without sound attribution of
1515-644: A hacker is an individual working for themself. However, many cyber threats are teams of well-resourced experts. "Growing revenues for cyber criminals are leading to more and more attacks, increasing professionalism and highly specialized attackers. In addition, unlike other forms of crime, cybercrime can be carried out remotely, and cyber attacks often scale well." Many cyberattacks are caused or enabled by insiders, often employees who bypass security procedures to get their job done more efficiently. Attackers vary widely in their skill and sophistication and well as their determination to attack
1616-429: A huge increase in hacked and breached data. The worldwide information security market is forecast to reach $ 170.4 billion in 2022. Over time, computer systems make up an increasing portion of daily life and interactions. While the increasing complexity and connectedness of the systems increases the efficiency, power, and convenience of computer technology, it also renders the systems more vulnerable to attack and worsens
1717-471: A large variety of cheap and risk-free options to weaken other countries and strengthen their own positions. Considered from a long-term, geostrategic perspective, cyber offensive operations can cripple whole economies, change political views, agitate conflicts within or among states, reduce their military efficiency and equalize the capacities of high-tech nations to that of low-tech nations, and use access to their critical infrastructures to blackmail them. With
1818-435: A method of crime and warfare , although correctly attributing the attack is difficult and perpetrators are rarely prosecuted. A cyberattack can be defined as any attempt by an individual or organization "using one or more computers and computer systems to steal, expose, change, disable or eliminate information, or to breach computer information systems, computer networks, and computer infrastructures". Definitions differ as to
1919-585: A multitude of threats towards a nation. At the most basic level, cyber attacks can be used to support traditional warfare. For example, tampering with the operation of air defenses via cyber means in order to facilitate an air attack. Aside from these "hard" threats, cyber warfare can also contribute towards "soft" threats such as espionage and propaganda. Eugene Kaspersky , founder of Kaspersky Lab , equates large-scale cyber weapons , such as Flame and NetTraveler which his company discovered, to biological weapons , claiming that in an interconnected world, they have
2020-517: A nation's electrical grid (230,000 customers, Ukraine, 2015 ) or affected access to medical care, thus endangering life (UK National Health Service , WannaCry, 2017 ) have not led to military action. In 2017, Oxford academic Lucas Kello proposed a new term, "Unpeace", to denote highly damaging cyber actions whose non-violent effects do not rise to the level of traditional war. Such actions are neither warlike nor peace-like. Although they are non-violent, and thus not acts of war, their damaging effects on
2121-741: A particular target, as opposed to opportunistically picking one easy to attack. The skill level of the attacker determined which types of attacks they are prepared to mount. The most sophisticated attackers can persist undetected on a hardened system for an extended period of time. Motivations and aims also differ. Depending whether the expected threat is passive espionage, data manipulation, or active hijacking, different mitigation methods may be needed. Software vendors and governments are mainly interested in undisclosed vulnerabilities ( zero-days ), while organized crime groups are more interested in ready-to-use exploit kits based on known vulnerabilities, which are much cheaper. The lack of transparency in
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#17329140770632222-429: A policy perspective. Non-state actors can play as large a part in the cyberwar space as state actors, which leads to dangerous, sometimes disastrous, consequences. Small groups of highly skilled malware developers are able to as effectively impact global politics and cyber warfare as large governmental agencies. A major aspect of this ability lies in the willingness of these groups to share their exploits and developments on
2323-453: A protracted period of back-and-forth cyber attacks (including in combination with traditional military action) between warring states. To date, no such action is known to have occurred. Instead, armed forces have responded with tit-for-tat military cyber actions. For example, in June 2019, the United States launched a cyber attack against Iranian weapons systems in retaliation to the shooting down of
2424-417: A robust patching system to ensure that all devices are kept up to date. There is little evidence about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different cyberattack prevention measures. Although attention to security can reduce the risk of attack, achieving perfect security for a complex system is impossible, and many security measures have unacceptable cost or usability downsides. For example, reducing
2525-418: A service , where hackers sell prepacked software that can be used to cause a cyberattack, is increasingly popular as a lower risk and higher profit activity than traditional hacking. A major form of this is to create a botnet of compromised devices and rent or sell it to another cybercriminal. Different botnets are equipped for different tasks such as DDOS attacks or password cracking. It is also possible to buy
2626-614: A supervisory special agent and director. In 1996, while serving in that position, he established the first dedicated computer forensic lab in the government, which was the basis for the formation of the Defense Computer Forensic Laboratory (DCFL). In 1998, Schmidt transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves as a special agent, Criminal Investigation Division, where he was assigned to the Computer Crime Investigations Unit (CCIU). He has also served with
2727-515: A suspicious link or email attachment), especially those that depend on user error. However, too many rules can cause employees to disregard them, negating any security improvement. Some insider attacks can also be prevented using rules and procedures. Technical solutions can prevent many causes of human error that leave data vulnerable to attackers, such as encrypting all sensitive data, preventing employees from using insecure passwords, installing antivirus software to prevent malware, and implementing
2828-402: A system and could lead to the disruption of equipment. Compromise of military systems, such as C4ISTAR components that are responsible for orders and communications could lead to their interception or malicious replacement. Power, water, fuel, communications, and transportation infrastructure all may be vulnerable to disruption. According to Clarke, the civilian realm is also at risk, noting that
2929-567: A variety of effects depending on its purpose. Detection of cyberattacks is often absent or delayed, especially when the malware attempts to spy on the system while remaining undiscovered. If it is discovered, the targeted organization may attempt to collect evidence about the attack, remove malware from its systems, and close the vulnerability that enabled the attack. Cyberattacks can cause a variety of harms to targeted individuals, organizations, and governments, including significant financial losses and identity theft . They are usually illegal both as
3030-441: A warfare-like intent." In 2010, the former US National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter-terrorism, Richard A. Clarke , defined cyberwarfare as "actions by a nation-state to penetrate another nation's computers or networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruption". The target's own cyber-physical infrastructure may be used by the adversary in case of a cyber conflict, thus weaponizing it. There
3131-733: Is a co-author of The Black Book on Corporate Security and author of Patrolling CyberSpace, Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Data Security . Schmidt was the first president of the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center. He is a former executive board member of the International Organization of Computer Evidence, and served as the co-chairman of the Federal Computer Investigations Committee. He served as
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3232-402: Is a combination of computer network attack and defense and special technical operations." According to this perspective, the notion of cyber warfare brings a new paradigm into military doctrine. Paulo Shakarian and colleagues put forward the following definition of "cyber war" in 2013, drawing on Clausewitz 's definition of war: "War is the continuation of politics by other means": Cyber war
3333-702: Is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Perpetrators of DoS attacks typically target sites or services hosted on high-profile web servers such as banks, credit card payment gateways, and even root nameservers. DoS attacks often leverage internet-connected devices with vulnerable security measures to carry out these large-scale attacks. DoS attacks may not be limited to computer-based methods, as strategic physical attacks against infrastructure can be just as devastating. For example, cutting undersea communication cables may severely cripple some regions and countries with regards to their information warfare ability. The federal government of
3434-426: Is an effective way to limit the damage. The response is likely to require a wide variety of skills, from technical investigation to legal and public relations. Because of the prevalence of cyberattacks, some companies plan their incident response before any attack is detected, and may designate a computer emergency response team to be prepared to handle incidents. Many attacks are never detected. Of those that are,
3535-403: Is an extension of policy by actions taken in cyber space by state or nonstate actors that constitute a serious threat to a nation's security or are conducted in response to a perceived threat against a nation's security. Taddeo offered the following definition in 2012: The warfare grounded on certain uses of ICTs within an offensive or defensive military strategy endorsed by a state and aiming at
3636-482: Is debate on whether the term "cyber warfare" is accurate. In 2012, Eugene Kaspersky , founder of Kaspersky Lab , concluded that " cyberterrorism " is a more accurate term than "cyberwar." He states that "with today's attacks, you are clueless about who did it or when they will strike again. It's not cyber-war, but cyberterrorism." Howard Schmidt , former Cyber Security Coordinator in the Obama administration , said that "there
3737-450: Is distinct from the term "cyber war". Cyberwarfare includes techniques, tactics and procedures that may be involved in a cyber war, but the term does not imply scale, protraction or violence, which are typically associated with the term "war", which inherently refers to a large-scale action, typically over a protracted period of time, and may include objectives seeking to utilize violence or the aim to kill. A cyber war could accurately describe
3838-501: Is fully patched. Nevertheless, fully patched systems are still vulnerable to exploits using zero-day vulnerabilities . The highest risk of attack occurs just after a vulnerability has been publicly disclosed or a patch is released, because attackers can create exploits faster than a patch can be developed and rolled out. Software solutions aim to prevent unauthorized access and detect the intrusion of malicious software. Training users can avoid cyberattacks (for example, not to click on
3939-406: Is impossible or impractical to create a perfectly secure system, there are many defense mechanisms that can make a system more difficult to attack. Perpetrators of a cyberattack can be criminals, hacktivists , or states. They attempt to find weaknesses in a system, exploit them and create malware to carry out their goals, and deliver it to the targeted system. Once installed, the malware can have
4040-414: Is installed, its activity varies greatly depending on the attacker's goals. Many attackers try to eavesdrop on a system without affecting it. Although this type of malware can have unexpected side effects , it is often very difficult to detect. Botnets are networks of compromised devices that can be used to send spam or carry out denial-of-service attacks—flooding a system with too many requests for
4141-450: Is less important for some web-based services, it can be the most crucial aspect for industrial systems. In the first six months of 2017, two billion data records were stolen or impacted by cyber attacks, and ransomware payments reached US$ 2 billion , double that in 2016. In 2020, with the increase of remote work as an effect of the COVID-19 global pandemic, cybersecurity statistics reveal
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4242-422: Is likely to be erased quickly. Gathering data about the breach can facilitate later litigation or criminal prosecution, but only if the data is gathered according to legal standards and the chain of custody is maintained. Containing the affected system is often a high priority after an attack, and may be enacted by shutoff, isolation, use of a sandbox system to find out more about the adversary patching
4343-446: Is no cyberwar... I think that is a terrible metaphor and I think that is a terrible concept. There are no winners in that environment." Some experts take issue with the possible consequences linked to the warfare goal. In 2011, Ron Deibert, of Canada's Citizen Lab , warned of a " militarization of cyberspace ", as militaristic responses may not be appropriate. However, to date, even serious cyber-attacks that have disrupted large parts of
4444-427: Is not legally liable for the cost if a vulnerability is used in an attack, which creates an incentive to make cheaper but less secure software. Vulnerabilities vary in their ability to be exploited by malicious actors. The most valuable allow the attacker to inject and run their own code (called malware ), without the user being aware of it. Without a vulnerability enabling access, the attacker cannot gain access to
4545-624: Is the detection of systems vulnerable to attack and hardening these systems to make attacks more difficult, but it is only partially effective. Formal risk assessment for compromise of highly complex and interconnected systems is impractical and the related question of how much to spend on security is difficult to answer. Because of the ever changing and uncertain nature of cyber-threats, risk assessment may produce scenarios that are costly or unaffordable to mitigate. As of 2019 , there are no commercially available, widely used active defense systems for protecting systems by intentionally increasing
4646-531: Is typically done in the form of war games . Cyberattack A cyberattack (or cyber attack) occurs when there is an unauthorized action against computer infrastructure that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of its content. The rising dependence on increasingly complex and interconnected computer systems in most domains of life is the main factor that causes vulnerability to cyberattacks, since virtually all computer systems have bugs that can be exploited by attackers. Although it
4747-441: Is underreported to the extent they are known. According to McAfee's George Kurtz, corporations around the world face millions of cyberattacks a day. "Most of these attacks don't gain any media attention or lead to strong political statements by victims." This type of crime is usually financially motivated. But not all those who engage in cyberwarfare do so for financial or ideological reasons. There are institutes and companies like
4848-712: Is unlikely that challenges in inflicting physical damage or spreading terror can be overcome. Smaller-scale cyberattacks, sometimes resulting in interruption of essential services, regularly occur. There is little empirical evidence of economic harm (such as reputational damage ) from breaches except the direct cost for such matters as legal, technical, and public relations recovery efforts. Studies that have attempted to correlate cyberattacks to short-term declines in stock prices have found contradictory results, with some finding modest losses, others finding no effect, and some researchers criticizing these studies on methodological grounds. The effect on stock price may vary depending on
4949-561: The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium , commonly known as (ISC)². In October 2008 he was named one of the 50 most influential people in business IT by readers and editors of Baseline Magazine. Schmidt died of brain cancer on March 2, 2017, at his home in Muskego, Wisconsin . Schmidt held a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration (1994) and
5050-602: The Israel Defense Forces targeted and destroyed a building associated with an ongoing cyber-attack. There is ongoing debate over how cyberwarfare should be defined and no absolute definition is widely agreed upon. While the majority of scholars, militaries, and governments use definitions that refer to state and state-sponsored actors, other definitions may include non-state actors, such as terrorist groups, companies, political or ideological extremist groups, hacktivists , and transnational criminal organizations depending on
5151-502: The Obama administration , EO 13694 of 2015 and EO 13757 of 2016, specifically focused on the implementation of the cyber sanctions. Subsequent US presidents have issued similar Executive Orders. The US Congress has also imposed cyber sanctions in response to cyberwarfare. For example, the Iran Cyber Sanctions Act of 2016 imposes sanctions on specific individuals responsible for cyber attacks. Cyber warfare can present
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#17329140770635252-472: The University of Cincinnati or the Kaspersky Security Lab which engage in cyberwarfare so as to better understand the field through actions like the researching and publishing of new security threats. A number of countries conduct exercise to increase preparedness and explore the strategy, tactics and operations involved in conducting and defending against cyber attacks against hostile states, this
5353-560: The 315th MP Det (CID) at Ft. Lawton in Washington . He has testified as an expert witness in federal and military courts in the areas of computer crime, computer forensics and Internet crime. In May 2003, Schmidt retired from the White House after 31 years of public service in local and federal government. After the 9/11 attacks , he was appointed by President Bush as the Vice Chair of
5454-954: The Chandler Police Department in Arizona where he served on the SWAT team and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit, and formed and led the Special Enforcement Team. In 1994 he took a position with the FBI's National Drug Intelligence Center , where he headed the Computer Exploitation Team. After working at the FBI, in 1994, Schmidt joined the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Computer Forensic Lab and Computer Crime and Information Warfare Division. as
5555-531: The General Staff of the British Army stated that this kind of attack from actors such as Russia "is a form of system warfare that seeks to de-legitimize the political and social system on which our military strength is based". Jowell and O'Donnell (2006) state that "propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers
5656-593: The Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field, since renamed as the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range and served as chief of transportation and deputy director of resource management until 1982. He served in the Arizona Air National Guard with the 161st Communications Squadron based at Phoenix International Airport , from 1989 until 1998. Schmidt was a city police officer from 1983 to 1994 for
5757-762: The Obama Administration, Schmidt served as President of the Information Security Forum and President and CEO of R & H Security Consulting LLC, which he founded in May 2005. He was also the international president of the Information Systems Security Association and the chairman of the board of the Finnish security company Codenomicon , the American security company Fortify Software , and
5858-628: The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and as the special adviser for cyberspace security for the White House in December 2001. While at the White House, he assisted in the creation of the US National Strategy to Secure CyberSpace. He assumed the role as the chair in January 2003 until his retirement in May 2003, when he joined eBay. On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, Schmidt was named as
5959-430: The U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national security officials. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has issued a public notice that warns that the electrical grid is not adequately protected from cyber attack. China denies intruding into the U.S. electrical grid. One countermeasure would be to disconnect
6060-472: The United States admits that the electric power grid is susceptible to cyberwarfare. The United States Department of Homeland Security works with industries to identify vulnerabilities and to help industries enhance the security of control system networks. The federal government is also working to ensure that security is built in as the next generation of "smart grid" networks are developed. In April 2009, reports surfaced that China and Russia had infiltrated
6161-810: The United States' top computer security advisor to President Barack Obama. Previously, Schmidt served as a cyber-adviser in President George W. Bush's White House and has served as chief security strategist for the US CERT Partners Program for the National Cyber Security Division through Carnegie Mellon University , in support of the Department of Homeland Security . He has served as vice president and chief information security officer and chief security strategist for eBay . In May 2012, Schmidt announced that he would be stepping down as
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#17329140770636262-576: The United States. The New York Times reported that American hackers from the United States Cyber Command planted malware potentially capable of disrupting the Russian electrical grid. Cyber propaganda is an effort to control information in whatever form it takes, and influence public opinion. It is a form of psychological warfare , except it uses social media , fake news websites and other digital means. In 2018, Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of
6363-489: The White House's CyberSecurity Coordinator at the end of the month, citing a desire to focus on family and pursue teaching in the cyber field. He was replaced by Michael Daniel, chief of the White House budget office's intelligence branch. Schmidt also had an active career in private industry and professional organizations. In 1997, Schmidt joined Microsoft , as the director of information security, chief information security officer (CISO), and chief security officer (CSO). He
6464-522: The attack, without which countermeasures by a state are not legal either. In many countries, cyberattacks are prosecutable under various laws aimed at cybercrime . Attribution of the attack beyond reasonable doubt to the accused is also a major challenge in criminal proceedings. In 2021, United Nations member states began negotiating a draft cybercrime treaty . Many jurisdictions have data breach notification laws that require organizations to notify people whose personal data has been compromised in
6565-441: The attacker's goals and identity. In the aftermath of an attack, investigators often begin by saving as many artifacts as they can find, and then try to determine the attacker. Law enforcement agencies may investigate cyber incidents although the hackers responsible are rarely caught. Most states agree that cyberattacks are regulated under the laws governing the use of force in international law , and therefore cyberattacks as
6666-422: The average time to discovery is 197 days. Some systems can detect and flag anomalies that may indicate an attack, using such technology as antivirus , firewall , or an intrusion detection system . Once suspicious activity is suspected, investigators look for indicators of attack and indicators of compromise . Discovery is quicker and more likely if the attack targets information availability (for example with
6767-401: The company's contractual obligations. After the breach is fully contained, the company can then work on restoring all systems to operational. Maintaining a backup and having tested incident response procedures are used to improve recovery. Attributing a cyberattack is difficult, and of limited interest to companies that are targeted by cyberattacks. In contrast, secret services often have
6868-404: The complexity and functionality of the system is effective at reducing the attack surface . Disconnecting systems from the internet is one truly effective measure against attacks, but it is rarely feasible. In some jurisdictions, there are legal requirements for protecting against attacks. The cyber kill chain is the process by which perpetrators carry out cyberattacks. After the malware
6969-402: The complexity or variability of systems to make it harder to attack. The cyber resilience approach, on the other hand, assumes that breaches will occur and focuses on protecting essential functionality even if parts are compromised, using approaches such as micro-segmentation , zero trust , and business continuity planning . The majority of attacks can be prevented by ensuring all software
7070-468: The consequences of an attack, should one occur. Despite developers' goal of delivering a product that works entirely as intended, virtually all software and hardware contains bugs. If a bug creates a security risk, it is called a vulnerability . Patches are often released to fix identified vulnerabilities, but those that remain unknown ( zero days ) as well as those that have not been patched are still liable for exploitation. The software vendor
7171-422: The context of the work. Examples of definitions proposed by experts in the field are as follows. 'Cyberwarfare' is used in a broad context to denote interstate use of technological force within computer networks in which information is stored, shared, or communicated online. Raymond Charles Parks and David P. Duggan focused on analyzing cyberwarfare in terms of computer networks and pointed out that "Cyberwarfare
7272-405: The desired intent of the propagandist" (p. 7). The internet is the most important means of communication today. People can convey their messages quickly across to a huge audience, and this can open a window for evil. Terrorist organizations can exploit this and may use this medium to brainwash people. It has been suggested that restricted media coverage of terrorist attacks would in turn decrease
7373-520: The economy and society may be greater than those of some armed attacks. This term is closely related to the concept of the " grey zone ", which came to prominence in 2017, describing hostile actions that fall below the traditional threshold of war. But as Kello explained, technological unpeace differs from the grey zone as the term is commonly used in that unpeace by definition is never overtly violent or fatal, whereas some grey-zone actions are violent, even if they are not acts of war. The term "cyberwarfare"
7474-505: The emergence of cyber as a substantial threat to national and global security, cyber war, warfare and/or attacks also became a domain of interest and purpose for the military. In the U.S., General Keith B. Alexander , first head of USCYBERCOM , told the Senate Armed Services Committee that computer network warfare is evolving so rapidly that there is a "mismatch between our technical capabilities to conduct operations and
7575-706: The formation of an Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection . Schmidt has been appointed to the Information Security Privacy Advisory Board to advise the National Institute of Standards and Technology the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on information security and privacy issues pertaining to federal government information systems. Schmidt
7676-407: The foundation of modern economies," notes The New York Times . Stuxnet , while extremely effective in delaying Iran's nuclear program for the development of nuclear weaponry, came at a high cost. For the first time, it became clear that not only could cyber weapons be defensive but they could be offensive. The large decentralization and scale of cyberspace makes it extremely difficult to direct from
7777-697: The governing laws and policies. Cyber Command is the newest global combatant and its sole mission is cyberspace, outside the traditional battlefields of land, sea, air and space." It will attempt to find and, when necessary, neutralize cyberattacks and to defend military computer networks. Alexander sketched out the broad battlefield envisioned for the computer warfare command, listing the kind of targets that his new headquarters could be ordered to attack, including "traditional battlefield prizes – command-and-control systems at military headquarters, air defense networks and weapons systems that require computers to operate." One cyber warfare scenario, Cyber-ShockWave , which
7878-422: The immediate disruption or control of the enemy's resources, and which is waged within the informational environment, with agents and targets ranging both on the physical and non-physical domains and whose level of violence may vary upon circumstances. Robinson et al. proposed in 2015 that the intent of the attacker dictates whether an attack is warfare or not, defining cyber warfare as "the use of cyber attacks with
7979-470: The market causes problems, such as buyers being unable to guarantee that the zero-day vulnerability was not sold to another party. Both buyers and sellers advertise on the dark web and use cryptocurrency for untraceable transactions. Because of the difficulty in writing and maintaining software that can attack a wide variety of systems, criminals found they could make more money by renting out their exploits rather than using them directly. Cybercrime as
8080-641: The media as cyber-terrorists, wreaking havoc by hacking websites, posting sensitive information about their victims, and threatening further attacks if their demands are not met. However, hacktivism is more than that. Actors are politically motivated to change the world, through the use of fundamentalism. Groups like Anonymous, however, have divided opinion with their methods. Cyber attacks, including ransomware, can be used to generate income. States can use these techniques to generate significant sources of income, which can evade sanctions and perhaps while simultaneously harming adversaries (depending on targets). This tactic
8181-579: The military. All four branches of the United States military actively recruit for cyber warfare positions. In a 2024 study on the use of military cyber operations during the Russo-Ukrainian War , Frederik A. H. Pedersen and Jeppe T. Jacobsen concluded that cyber operations in warfare may only be impactful on the tactical and operational levels in a war's beginning, when cyber and non-cyber operations can be aligned and complex cyber weapons can be prepared before war breaks out, as well as cumulatively on
8282-642: The negative effects of cyberattacks helps organizations ensure that their prevention strategies are cost-effective. One paper classifies the harm caused by cyberattacks in several domains: Thousands of data records are stolen from individuals every day. According to a 2020 estimate, 55 percent of data breaches were caused by organized crime , 10 percent by system administrators , 10 percent by end users such as customers or employees, and 10 percent by states or state-affiliated actors. Opportunistic criminals may cause data breaches—often using malware or social engineering attacks , but they will typically move on if
8383-549: The number of terrorist attacks that occur afterwards. In 2017, the WannaCry and Petya (NotPetya) cyber attacks, masquerading as ransomware, caused large-scale disruptions in Ukraine as well as to the U.K.'s National Health Service, pharmaceutical giant Merck , Maersk shipping company and other organizations around the world. These attacks are also categorized as cybercrimes , specifically financial crime because they negatively affect
8484-532: The places suffering blackout. Howard Schmidt , former Cyber-Security Coordinator of the US, commented on those possibilities: It's possible that hackers have gotten into administrative computer systems of utility companies, but says those aren't linked to the equipment controlling the grid, at least not in developed countries. [Schmidt] has never heard that the grid itself has been hacked. In June 2019, Russia said that its electrical grid has been under cyber-attack by
8585-464: The potential to be equally destructive. Traditional espionage is not an act of war, nor is cyber-espionage, and both are generally assumed to be ongoing between major powers. Despite this assumption, some incidents can cause serious tensions between nations, and are often described as "attacks". For example: Out of all cyber attacks, 25% of them are espionage based. Computers and satellites that coordinate other activities are vulnerable components of
8686-425: The power grid from the Internet and run the net with droop speed control only. Massive power outages caused by a cyber attack could disrupt the economy, distract from a simultaneous military attack, or create a national trauma . Iranian hackers, possibly Iranian Cyber Army pushed a massive power outage for 12 hours in 44 of 81 provinces of Turkey , impacting 40 million people. Istanbul and Ankara were among
8787-434: The security breaches have already gone beyond stolen credit card numbers, and that potential targets can also include the electric power grid, trains, or the stock market. In mid-July 2010, security experts discovered a malicious software program called Stuxnet that had infiltrated factory computers and had spread to plants around the world. It is considered "the first attack on critical industrial infrastructure that sits at
8888-490: The security is above average. More organized criminals have more resources and are more focused in their targeting of particular data . Both of them sell the information they obtain for financial gain. Another source of data breaches are politically motivated hackers , for example Anonymous , that target particular objectives. State-sponsored hackers target either citizens of their country or foreign entities, for such purposes as political repression and espionage . After
8989-660: The software used to create a botnet and bots that load the purchaser's malware onto a botnet's devices. DDOS as a service using botnets retained under the control of the seller is also common, and may be the first cybercrime as a service product, and can also be committed by SMS flooding on the cellular network. Malware and ransomware as a service have made it possible for individuals without technical ability to carry out cyberattacks. Targets of cyberattacks range from individuals to corporations and government entities. Many cyberattacks are foiled or unsuccessful, but those that succeed can have devastating consequences. Understanding
9090-544: The subversive use of computers and computer networks to promote an agenda, and can potentially extend to attacks, theft and virtual sabotage that could be seen as cyberwarfare – or mistaken for it. Hacktivists use their knowledge and software tools to gain unauthorized access to computer systems they seek to manipulate or damage not for material gain or to cause widespread destruction, but to draw attention to their cause through well-publicized disruptions of select targets. Anonymous and other hacktivist groups are often portrayed in
9191-431: The system to handle at once, causing it to become unusable. Attackers may also use computers to mine cryptocurrencies , such as Bitcoin , for their own profit. Ransomware is software used to encrypt or destroy data; attackers demand payment for the restoration of the targeted system. The advent of cryptocurrency enabling anonymous transactions has led to a dramatic increase in ransomware demands. The stereotype of
9292-442: The system. The Vulnerability Model (VM) identifies attack patterns, threats, and valuable assets, which can be physical or intangible. It addresses security concerns like confidentiality, integrity, availability, and accountability within business, application, or infrastructure contexts. A system's architecture and design decisions play a major role in determining how safe it can be. The traditional approach to improving security
9393-487: The term is a misnomer since no cyber attacks to date could be described as a war. An alternative view is that it is a suitable label for cyber attacks which cause physical damage to people and objects in the real world. Many countries, including the United States , United Kingdom , Russia , China , Israel , Iran , and North Korea , have active cyber capabilities for offensive and defensive operations. As states explore
9494-451: The type of attack. Some experts have argued that the evidence suggests there is not enough direct costs or reputational damage from breaches to sufficiently incentivize their prevention. Government websites and services are among those affected by cyberattacks. Some experts hypothesize that cyberattacks weaken societal trust or trust in the government, but as of 2023 this notion has only limited evidence. Responding quickly to attacks
9595-480: The type of compromise required – for example, requiring the system to produce unexpected responses or cause injury or property damage. Some definitions exclude attacks carried out by non-state actors and others require the target to be a state. Keeping a system secure relies on maintaining the CIA triad : confidentiality (no unauthorized access), integrity (no unauthorized modification), and availability. Although availability
9696-426: The use of cyber operations and combine capabilities, the likelihood of physical confrontation and violence playing out as a result of, or part of, a cyber operation is increased. However, meeting the scale and protracted nature of war is unlikely, thus ambiguity remains. The first instance of kinetic military action used in response to a cyber-attack resulting in the loss of human life was observed on 5 May 2019, when
9797-606: The vulnerability, and rebuilding . Once the exact way that the system was compromised is identified, there is typically only one or two technical vulnerabilities that need to be addressed in order to contain the breach and prevent it from reoccurring. A penetration test can then verify that the fix is working as expected. If malware is involved, the organization must investigate and close all infiltration and exfiltration vectors, as well as locate and remove all malware from its systems. Containment can compromise investigation, and some tactics (such as shutting down servers) can violate
9898-476: The web as a form of arms proliferation. This allows lesser hackers to become more proficient in creating the large scale attacks that once only a small handful were skillful enough to manage. In addition, thriving black markets for these kinds of cyber weapons are buying and selling these cyber capabilities to the highest bidder without regard for consequences. In computing, a denial-of-service attack ( DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack)
9999-544: Was wargamed on the cabinet level by former administration officials, raised issues ranging from the National Guard to the power grid to the limits of statutory authority. The distributed nature of internet based attacks means that it is difficult to determine motivation and attacking party, meaning that it is unclear when a specific act should be considered an act of war. Examples of cyberwarfare driven by political motivations can be found worldwide. In 2008, Russia began
10100-507: Was observed in August 2019 when it was revealed North Korea had generated $ 2 billion to fund its weapons program, avoiding the blanket of sanctions levied by the United States , United Nations and the European Union . Computer hacking represents a modern threat in ongoing global conflicts and industrial espionage and as such is presumed to widely occur. It is typical that this type of crime
10201-1013: Was the co-founder of the Trustworthy Computing Security Strategies Group. Schmidt served on the executive committee of the Information Technology Sector Coordination Council. His memberships include the High Technology Crime Investigation Association, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the International Association of Chiefs of Police . He has testified before congressional committees on computer security and cyber crime and has featured on various worldwide television and radio shows including, BBC, ABC, CNN, CNBC, Fox TV talking about cyber-security, investigations and technology. He
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