Cyber Conflict and Disruption

Cyber Conflict and Disruption - article by Benjamin Ang - was published in the MINDEF Pointer Monograph #13. Read it in full at
https://www.mindef.gov.sg/oms/imindef/publications/pointer/monographs/mono13.html

ABSTRACT

With the recent emergence of a new domain—the digital domain—the way conflicts are fought have evolved to strike at society’s heart, which could affect the very fabric of our lives. According to the author, cyber attacks are commonly used to disrupt a nation’s operations, and this is a typical method for aggressors, as they can do so with anonymity, with little violations to international laws. 

In this essay, the author looks into the effects of digital disruption, and provide examples of disruption caused by both state and non-state actors and discusses the repercussions of such attacks. The limitations to international laws against cyber conflicts were also considered, as well as a brief on how aggressors can use such limitations to their advantage. 

The author also highlights that the disruptive nature of cyber conflict is a significant threat. And, while states can respond by becoming disruptors themselves, finding disruptive methods to defend themselves or even striking back, he cautioned that there are risks in using technology and new methods to engage in conflict. 

However, if properly managed, the author feels that disruptive methods can enable states, especially smaller states, to defend themselves more completely without the costs of legacy operations, and to even cause serious effects without the usual costs of waging war.

Keywords: Disruption; Cyber Attack; Proxy; Threshold of War; Cyber Weapons