Cyberwarfare: Everything you need to know

What is the News?

Ukraine has been hit by a wave of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure companies. The timing and scale of the attacks point towards hackers working at the behest of Russia.

What is Cyber Warfare?

Cyberwarfare has emerged as a new form of retaliation or passive aggression deployed by nations that do not want to go to actual war but want to send a tough message to their opponents.

In these types of warfare, nation-state actors ​​attack and attempt to damage another nation’s computers or information networks through computer viruses or denial-of-service attacks, especially for strategic or military purposes.

Why are Cyber attacks carried out? 

State-backed cyber attacks are usually carried out to steal state secrets, trade deals and weapons blueprints, or target large multinationals to steal their intellectual property (IP) and use it to build local industry.

However, when states launch cyberattacks on other states as a result of worsening of geopolitical relations, the target is usually critical infrastructure firms to disrupt economic activity.

Which countries are behind state-backed cyber attacks?

Russia is one of the top perpetrators of state-backed cyberattacks. According to a report by Microsoft, Russia accounted for 58% of state-backed attacks worldwide, followed by North Korea (23%), Iran (11%), and China (8%). 

How often is India targeted?

According to a study, cyberattacks rose 100% between 2017 and 2021. For example: 

– In 2019. The administrative network of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was hit by a malware attack by North Korea-backed Lazarus Group. 

– China-backed hackers were believed to be behind a power outage in Mumbai in 2020. 

– Pakistan-based hackers targeted power firms and one government organization in India in early 2021.

Source: This post is based on the article “Cyberwarfare: Everything you need to know” published in Livemint on 25th February 2022.