********** Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 12:36:14 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (SSIANG) Subject: Cyber War Article To: Declan McCullagh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear Declan, I am replacing Alex Fowler as Deputy Editor for the Professional Ethics Report, published by AAAS and thought your listserv readers might be interested in the cover article of the Fall 1998 issue, "The Legitimization of Strategic Information Warfare: Ethical Considerations" The article is co-authored by Roger Molander of RAND and me. The full report can be found at: http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/sfrl/per/per15.htm Thanks! Sanyin Siang The first few paragraphs are as follows: The development of the Internet and the Web has resulted in a global society dependent on information technology. As a consequence, there emerges profound problems of scientific ethics and international security that have been increasingly drawing the attention of international security experts, especially those concerned about the future of strategic warfare. Call it cyberwar or strategic information warfare (SIW). Many countries rely on information-based resources, including management systems and infrastructures involving the control of electric power, money flow, air traffic, and other information-dependent items. SIW occurs when one national seeks to obtain strategic leverage over another by severely disrupting or damage these systems by exploiting the tools of the Internet. Compared to other strategic forms of warfare such as nuclear war or the clash of massed armies, SIW possesses several distinct features. The entry cost is potentially much lower. There is difficulty in ascertaining perpetrator identity, thereby, enhancing opportunities for deceptive attackers. It also generates new tactical warning and attack assessment problems since there is currently no adequate means for distinguishing between SIW attacks and other kinds of cyberspace activities, including espionage or accidents. Furthermore, in the world of SIW, there is no frontline; the "battlegrounds" are everywhere, from the stock market to the natural gas pipelines. In short, the expanding global network and its rise as a new mode of communication, transcends physical space, thereby muddying the geographical boundaries and traditional distinctions between the public and the private, the criminal and the warlike, the civilian and the military. Lastly, SIW seems to possess the redeeming quality of being "much more humane" than other forms of strategic warfare since the only intended casualties would be the crippling of information flow, convenience, and comfort. An understanding and development of this technology can lead to great strides in attack capabilities. The question remains whether SIW should be legitimized as a new form of warfare. To explore this question, we will examine the ethical considerations in terms of offensive and defensive capabilities............ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology To subscribe: send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with this text: subscribe politech More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
