The cyber threat- a new danger

(GS Mains 3 : Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.)

Context:

• Cyber threat is hardly confined to any one domain but the civilian sphere where the cyber threat is becoming more all-pervading today and, in turn, a serious menace. 
• It is beginning to have a cascading effect with questions being raised on how this would fit in with our belief in, and need for, a well-regulated world order.

All encompassing nature:

• In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the world seems awash with papers on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven military innovations and ‘potential crisis hot zones’, along with stray references to new forms of hybrid warfare. 
• But there is very little concern about the threat posed by cyber attacks along with the new reality of the ‘weaponization of everything’ which has entered the vocabulary of threats. 
• This lack of awareness is unfortunate at a time when states clearly lack the necessary resilience to face a variety of multi-vector threats. 

Conflicts of a varied nature:

• Cyber space has been described as a “superset of interconnected information and communication technology, hardware, software processes, services, data and systems”. 
• Viewed from this perspective, Cyber threats are not confined to merely one set of conflicts rather extending well beyond this and other conflicts of a varied nature. 
• The cyber threat is in this sense all-pervading,embracing many regions and operating on different planes. Hence, dealing with the cyber threat calls for both versatility and imaginative thinking. 

A new reality:

• With each passing day, we confront a new reality, viz., the extent to which exploitation of cyberspace by criminally minded elements undermines our everyday world and beliefs. 
• The recent arrest in India, of a Russian for hacking into computers involved in the conduct of examinations for entry into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), is a reflection of how cyber criminals are significantly amplifying their ‘Grey Zone Warfare’ tactics.
• This is, perhaps, the tip of the iceberg for, as a general rule, it takes a long time for the general public to become aware of the nature and consequences of cyber attacks.

Systems compromising:

• The extent to which the system has been compromised is terrifying to contemplate, even before the full facts are unearthed. 
• Yet, it has grave implications for the entire spectrum of endeavors that are totally dependent on technologically-driven remote access functioning as a part of their everyday business activity. 
• Niche solutions for such cyber intrusions are available and it is important that those concerned undertake a leap of faith to install such solutions before the situation goes out of control.

Locus of geo-political conflict:

• It can be argued that there may be nothing radically wrong in highlighting cyber space as essentially a locus of geo-political conflict but there is much more to the cyber threat than this. 
• In the case of the Russia-Ukraine war, cyber space has become an experiment for various players to try and support a weaker nation against a more powerful opponent, through distortion of information and communication flows, which are considered essential to the success or failure of any war strategy. 
• While Russia may not publicly admit to the fact that it is hurting, with most global information networks being ranged against it and distorting realities, it has certainly added a new cyber dimension to the ongoing conflict. 

Conclusion:

•  It is evident that the cyber realm is no longer confined to events such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the battle is now in our own backyards, with several non-state actors engaging in hybrid warfare and distorting day-to-day practices, including examinations. 
• Thus, states need to find out a common denominator for regulating cyber space and lay down proper rules and practices to prevent anarchy and chaos.