clydeiii/cybersecurity · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 4 429
discoveries of the past 100 years or so makes it difficult for the appearance of any new
technology to take on any self importance in the realm of human life. While it may be said that
the formulations of "the age of the steam engine" and "the age of electrification" can be said
to be names which reflect the realities of the time, today, with all kinds of new technology
continuously beating against the banks of the age so that people scarcely have the time to
accord them brief acclaim while being overwhelmed by an even higher and newer wave of
technology, the age in which an era could be named for a single new technology or a single
inventor has become a thing of the past. This is the reason why, if one calls the current era
the "nuclear age" or the "information age," it will still give people the impression that you are
using one aspect to typify the whole situation. (Qiao Liang & Wang Xiangsui 1999).
It is important to stop for a moment and ponder the rapid advancement in military weaponry.
New weaponry and concepts are easily dismissed as science fiction, yet the integration of
mobile phones and the internet in 2008 would resemble science fiction to someone in the
1980s. Reports of research and development may be noted momentarily before being
subsumed in a busy, informationally-competitive world. For the purpose of this study, it is
useful to acknowledge them in passing as they show the rapid advancement in science and
technology, where military weapons are headed, and the increasing complexity and
cooperation involved in their development and use. Current militarily-applicable science and
technology, under development or already in use, include: augmented reality (Bonsor 2008);
biotechnology; genetics; giving soldiers internal/biologic infrared, night vision, radar, and
sonar capability (Block 2006); GPS; force fields (Hershkovitch 1998); invisibility cloaks
(Mark 2008; Winkler 2003); microwave guns (Beam It Right There Scotty 2005);
nanotechnology; neuroscience; positron bombs (Davidson 2004); robotic exoskeletons
(Berkeley Bionics Human Exoskeleton 2007; Yeates 2007); space-based weapons such as
ANGELS (Lewis 2005) and Rods from God (Adams 2004); telepathy (Braukus 2004; Put
Your Mobile Where Your Mouth Is 2002); thought control of internet surfing and electronic
Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80
Copyright
2008 Jason Fritz
devices (New Technology Operated by Thought 2007); unmanned ground combat vehicles
(Bloom 2008); and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (Pike 2008).
Adding further to this complexity, Unrestricted Warfare, a book by two PLA senior colonels,
Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, claims that warfare is no longer strictly a military operation,
and that the battlefield no longer has boundaries. Unrestricted Warfare was published by the
PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House in Beijing in February 1999. According to the
FBIS translation editor, the book
was endorsed by at least some elements of the PLA
leadership
and an interview with one of the authors was published in the CPC Youth
League
s official daily newspaper on June 28, 1999. Thus while the book is not entirely
backed by the PLA, especially the older generation, like the
half empty, half full
glass
analogy, it does have some official backing and hence a degree of legitimacy as a document
assisting analysis as to where the PLA is headed and how asymmetric tactics against a
superior hi-tech military might be employed.
Environmental concerns, human rights in regard to weapons of mass destruction, and the
increasingly intertwined economies and political structures of globalization all have an
impact on modern warfare. Sheer might of weaponry can no longer guarantee victory under
these conditions. US extravagance in weaponry has been shown to stymie in the face of
guerrilla warfare in Vietnam and Iraq. Under limited warfare, asymmetric warfare has seen a
resurgence in use and value. Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda employ guerrilla tactics and
make use of the internet and financial institutions to subvert traditional warfare (Levinson
2008; Yassin 2008). No single weapon can deliver a decisive victory, and weapons have
been replaced by weapons systems. For example, the patriot missile relies on multiple
technologies working in concert, from satellites to the missile itself, with data being relayed
around the world. Modern militaries have become reliant on electronic sophistication. The
authors of Unrestricted Warfare assert that war has not disappeared, but its appearance has
changed and its complexity has increased (Qiao and Wang 1999).
Non-Traditional Threats
Increasing interdependence among states has increased the danger of non-traditional security
threats, including the spread of disease, environmental damage, international terrorist groups,
international crime, acquisition and transportation of energy and resources, natural disasters,
and intertwined economies that can have an impact on social and political issues. For
example, modern transportation has made it possible for criminals to traverse the globe with
relative ease. The internet allows them to transfer or hide money across the globe and to
covertly communicate beyond the jurisdiction of their enemies. Natural disasters or
communicable diseases are no longer something which can be kept quiet as information
radiates out through global media, causing damage to soft power factors, tourism, business,
and international scrutiny (China's National Defense in 2006).
The line between military and non-military, soldier and civilian, is being blurred. Terrorism
is the most common example: the 2001 plane hijackings in the US, the Madrid train
bombings in 2004, and the London bombings in 2005 to name just a few key examples.
These lack an easily identifiable enemy to target, they cross territorial boundaries and use
asymmetric attacks. Further blurring the line are the Sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway
by disciples of the Aum Shinri Kyo, the actions of currency speculators in relation to the East
Asian financial crisis, drug cartels, the mafia, media moguls who can influence the opinion of
a mass audience, or industrial polluters who affect the economy and health of their
Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80
Copyright
2008 Jason Fritz
neighbours. These events can cause damage and disruption equal to war, but there is no
foreign military or state against which to go to war. The individuals involved may be from
multiple states and acting without government sponsorship.
Another form of non-traditional threat comes from hackers. Hackers tend not to have
military training, they may or may not have a political agenda, and they are capable of
causing massive damage with nothing more than an off-the-shelf computer and an internet
connection. For example, two British teenagers were able to access files on ballistic weapons
research of the US. They then took control of US air force computers and proceeded to
intrude into other military and government installations, making it appear as though the US
military was hacking other states (Hacking U.S. Government Computers from Overseas
2001). The rapid advancements in technology and globalization are opening new and
complex ways to subvert security. In 2008, a group of 11 people managed to steal 45 million
users
bank and credit card details, resulting in a loss of more than $256 million. The group
members were from diverse, yet cyber-advanced, geographical locations, including: Belarus,
Estonia, China, Ukraine, and the US. Their unprecedented feat was accomplished by sitting
outside of TJX retail stores and hacking into the store
s wireless network. This illustrates

discoveries of the past 100 years or so makes it difficult for the appearance of any new

technology to take on any self importance in the realm of human life. While it may be said that

the formulations of "the age of the steam engine" and "the age of electrification" can be said

to be names which reflect the realities of the time, today, with all kinds of new technology

continuously beating against the banks of the age so that people scarcely have the time to

accord them brief acclaim while being overwhelmed by an even higher and newer wave of

technology, the age in which an era could be named for a single new technology or a single

inventor has become a thing of the past. This is the reason why, if one calls the current era

the "nuclear age" or the "information age," it will still give people the impression that you are

using one aspect to typify the whole situation. (Qiao Liang & Wang Xiangsui 1999).

It is important to stop for a moment and ponder the rapid advancement in military weaponry.

New weaponry and concepts are easily dismissed as science fiction, yet the integration of

mobile phones and the internet in 2008 would resemble science fiction to someone in the

1980s. Reports of research and development may be noted momentarily before being

subsumed in a busy, informationally-competitive world. For the purpose of this study, it is

useful to acknowledge them in passing as they show the rapid advancement in science and

technology, where military weapons are headed, and the increasing complexity and

cooperation involved in their development and use. Current militarily-applicable science and

technology, under development or already in use, include: augmented reality (Bonsor 2008);

biotechnology; genetics; giving soldiers internal/biologic infrared, night vision, radar, and

sonar capability (Block 2006); GPS; force fields (Hershkovitch 1998); invisibility cloaks

(Mark 2008; Winkler 2003); microwave guns (Beam It Right There Scotty 2005);

nanotechnology; neuroscience; positron bombs (Davidson 2004); robotic exoskeletons

(Berkeley Bionics Human Exoskeleton 2007; Yeates 2007); space-based weapons such as

ANGELS (Lewis 2005) and Rods from God (Adams 2004); telepathy (Braukus 2004; Put

Your Mobile Where Your Mouth Is 2002); thought control of internet surfing and electronic

Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80

Copyright

2008 Jason Fritz

devices (New Technology Operated by Thought 2007); unmanned ground combat vehicles

(Bloom 2008); and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (Pike 2008).

Adding further to this complexity, Unrestricted Warfare, a book by two PLA senior colonels,

Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, claims that warfare is no longer strictly a military operation,

and that the battlefield no longer has boundaries. Unrestricted Warfare was published by the

PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House in Beijing in February 1999. According to the

FBIS translation editor, the book

was endorsed by at least some elements of the PLA

leadership

and an interview with one of the authors was published in the CPC Youth

League

s official daily newspaper on June 28, 1999. Thus while the book is not entirely

backed by the PLA, especially the older generation, like the

half empty, half full

glass

analogy, it does have some official backing and hence a degree of legitimacy as a document

assisting analysis as to where the PLA is headed and how asymmetric tactics against a

superior hi-tech military might be employed.

Environmental concerns, human rights in regard to weapons of mass destruction, and the

increasingly intertwined economies and political structures of globalization all have an

impact on modern warfare. Sheer might of weaponry can no longer guarantee victory under

these conditions. US extravagance in weaponry has been shown to stymie in the face of

guerrilla warfare in Vietnam and Iraq. Under limited warfare, asymmetric warfare has seen a

resurgence in use and value. Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda employ guerrilla tactics and

make use of the internet and financial institutions to subvert traditional warfare (Levinson

2008; Yassin 2008). No single weapon can deliver a decisive victory, and weapons have

been replaced by weapons systems. For example, the patriot missile relies on multiple

technologies working in concert, from satellites to the missile itself, with data being relayed

around the world. Modern militaries have become reliant on electronic sophistication. The

authors of Unrestricted Warfare assert that war has not disappeared, but its appearance has

changed and its complexity has increased (Qiao and Wang 1999).

Non-Traditional Threats

Increasing interdependence among states has increased the danger of non-traditional security

threats, including the spread of disease, environmental damage, international terrorist groups,

international crime, acquisition and transportation of energy and resources, natural disasters,

and intertwined economies that can have an impact on social and political issues. For

example, modern transportation has made it possible for criminals to traverse the globe with

relative ease. The internet allows them to transfer or hide money across the globe and to

covertly communicate beyond the jurisdiction of their enemies. Natural disasters or

communicable diseases are no longer something which can be kept quiet as information

radiates out through global media, causing damage to soft power factors, tourism, business,

and international scrutiny (China's National Defense in 2006).

The line between military and non-military, soldier and civilian, is being blurred. Terrorism

is the most common example: the 2001 plane hijackings in the US, the Madrid train

bombings in 2004, and the London bombings in 2005 to name just a few key examples.

These lack an easily identifiable enemy to target, they cross territorial boundaries and use

asymmetric attacks. Further blurring the line are the Sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway

by disciples of the Aum Shinri Kyo, the actions of currency speculators in relation to the East

Asian financial crisis, drug cartels, the mafia, media moguls who can influence the opinion of

a mass audience, or industrial polluters who affect the economy and health of their

Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80

Copyright

2008 Jason Fritz

neighbours. These events can cause damage and disruption equal to war, but there is no

foreign military or state against which to go to war. The individuals involved may be from

multiple states and acting without government sponsorship.

Another form of non-traditional threat comes from hackers. Hackers tend not to have

military training, they may or may not have a political agenda, and they are capable of

causing massive damage with nothing more than an off-the-shelf computer and an internet

connection. For example, two British teenagers were able to access files on ballistic weapons

research of the US. They then took control of US air force computers and proceeded to

intrude into other military and government installations, making it appear as though the US

military was hacking other states (Hacking U.S. Government Computers from Overseas

2001). The rapid advancements in technology and globalization are opening new and

complex ways to subvert security. In 2008, a group of 11 people managed to steal 45 million

users

bank and credit card details, resulting in a loss of more than $256 million. The group

members were from diverse, yet cyber-advanced, geographical locations, including: Belarus,

Estonia, China, Ukraine, and the US. Their unprecedented feat was accomplished by sitting

outside of TJX retail stores and hacking into the store

s wireless network. This illustrates