Major information warfare or cyberterrorism events that occurred around the globe in recent history
Write a three to four page paper outlining three major information warfare or cyberterrorism events that occurred around the globe in recent history. To complete the assignment:
• For each of the three case studies you select, address all of the following:
o Who was the victim of the cyberterrorism or information warfare campaign?
o Who was the aggressor in the cyberterrorism or information warfare campaign?
o What type of cyber attack occurred? (e.g. virus, malicious code, denial-of-service, hacking, etc.)
o Explain how the technique was used and what the outcome was for the victim.
o What has the victim (country or person) done since the cyber attack to prevent similar attacks from occurring, in the future?
• Compare and contrast the different attacks. Based on your analysis, which cyber defense mechanisms you think are critical to preventing the recurrence of these types of cyber attacks in the future.
Sample Answer
The Shadow War: Three Case Studies in Modern Cyber Warfare
Cyber warfare has become an increasingly prevalent tool in the arsenal of nation-states and non-state actors, blurring the lines between traditional warfare and digital conflict. This paper will examine three significant cyberterrorism and information warfare events, analyzing their impact and exploring critical cyber defense mechanisms.
Case Study 1: The Estonian Cyber Attacks (2007)
- Victim: The Republic of Estonia.
- Aggressor: Suspected Russian-backed cyber attackers (though official attribution remains disputed).
- Type of Attack: Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.