CYBER POLITICS IMPACT Of TECHNOLOGY RIVALS
In many parts of the world, people have become increasingly dependent on digital technologies for delivery of essential goods and services. This reliance of uninterrupted connection has given rise to new security issues. The events of recent years have established the fact that cyber-attacks are now more targeted, more disruptive and more damaging. What’s more, in several cases, they are increasingly motivated by strategic and political gains. In an exceedingly polarized world the new battleground is ‘cyber politics’.
The term, cyber politics, is widely employed among researchers and academics for the study related to use of internet for political activities. These activities include news reporting, fund-raising, volunteer recruitment, organization and blogging. But there is another undeclared activity that nations vying for power politics indulge in: espionage. And ‘cyber politics’ is the key tool for carrying out such activities.
The digital age is now influencing every area of human activity. All around the world. No democracy, not even dictatorship, is spared of its adverse effects. From markets and businesses to state-society interactions and policy-making. A wide variety of areas such as election activities, protests and demonstrations, war and defense policies, terrorism, trade, economy, international relations, diaspora issues, sovereignty and security are all subjects of studies and research. Quite the reason cyber world is considered as an undeniable and unavoidable reality.
For a long time, the role of cyber world in politics was played down as insignificant and ‘low influence’. But now core national institutions, national security and fundamental decisions are touched by digital technology that drives the cyber world—a realm all its own yet a part of the whole. It is present everywhere and it is anonymous—attributes that have challenged deep rooted concepts and cherished beliefs. Borders and boundaries have been relegated to things of past. So have national security and diplomacy. As a result of this new development, cyber-attacks feature prominently in national and international security policies. Nations are now forced to accommodate cyber security as a must have to allow smooth functioning of governments.
TRENDS IN CYBER SECURITY
In international politics, cyber security is a permanent topic of discussion both as a cause and as an effect merged into the dynamics of power politics. Three new developments on the world stage and related to cyber issues define how digital technology is used politically and how state actors are linked to it.
a. In the early days, there was some sort of fascination for ‘doomsday scenario’ whenever people discussed cyber-attacks. But now the whole weight is drawn towards attacks that are commonplace and at low levels. Now cyber security specialists see the cyber conflicts from that perspective.
b. Instead of dealing with all types of cyber-attacks, IT people and particularly CS specialists are now focusing on targeted operations which have certain aims and objectives in international politics.
c. In view of the role cyber-attacks play in destabilizing other states, national leaders are now actively pursuing a policy to contain these activities through various means—not just skills of ethical hackers. Engaging the hostile nations in debate and using diplomacy are two of the ways that can alleviate risk factors.
With the emergence of China as a world economic power, the US-China relations have not only acquired greater importance but have also become sensitive in nature. The added dimension of cyber issues in politics has transformed the level of relations from ‘low influence’ to ‘high influence.’
SECURITY IN THE NEW AGE
The vast expansion of information technology and communications revolution, cyber security has acquired an elevated status for policy makers. And it has become a subject of great interest for researchers and scholars all across the world. With the increase in cyber-attacks, more cases related to theft of classified government files and damage to critical infrastructure have been noticed. The growing complication has turned cyber security into a challenging task. Globally, every country that is digitally linked is at risk of economic losses or grave security threat. According to the influential journal, Economist, cyber space is now regarded as the fifth battleground after land, sea, air and space. To understand and come to terms with this relatively new form of conflict, IT specialists, particularly those responsible for cyber security, must make a deeper and thorough study of the new ways to devise a plan and strategy that should offer at least some level of preparedness.
OFFENCE VS DEFENSE
Risks linked to cyber threats are nowadays treated as top security concern. Governments constantly send out alerts of attacks against critical infrastructure. In a survey conducted in 2016, over three quarter of Americans thought that cyber threat was real and that cyber terrorism posed a critical threat to United States and its installation. Some analysts believe that cyberattacks are acute threats to national security. But others contend that the estimates of risks are greatly exaggerated.
Some people may ask about why cyber-attacks are so rampant when defense against them seem lethargic and unresponsive. The answer to it might be found in warfare studies. When attacking is easy and costeffective, it is prevalent strategy. Scholars explain this on the basis of ‘offense-defence balance theory’ which states that nations, even those that normally choose to be in status quo, tend to go to war when they see that military technology favors offense rather than defense. Offense is observed to be dominant in the world because it is easier to destroy other’s army than defend one’s own territory. Similar is the case with cyber world. Cyber-attacks are ubiquitous and rampant just because it is easy and cheap to attack. The specialists on the other side of the divide are left to do the hard work.
CYBER DETERRENCE
When it comes to cyber politics, there are several issues that make cyber security such an uphill task.
1. The states lack the ability to respond to cyberattacks just like they respond to physical aggression because here the battleground is different and the cyber weapons are virtual.
2. Unlike conventional and unconventional weapons, cyber weapons do not possess the same destructive power to deter others from launching cyber-attacks. Cyber security software may have to be used more often to have sufficient deterrence effect. Moreover, software are coded to deal with some specific vulnerability. Any new offense strategy means another program may have to be written.
3. The origin of cyber-attacks cannot be identified with certainty. The perpetrators often deny that they have done anything wrong. In such a scenario, nations cannot afford to retaliate without having sufficient proof of aggression.
These difficulties point to the fact that deterrence through cyber means is unworkable policy when nations are in conflict.
SUM AND SUBSTANCE
There is a great degree of uncertainty surrounding cyber technology used as a weapon. That is why states are forced to exercise caution before deciding on a response. They often choose to defend by building resilient defenses. By avoiding full-blown war and a race for cyber arms, most nations have remained prudent in cyberspace. This is something advised by proponents of ‘realist theory.’