Cyber-warfare is the use of computers and networking in war. A recent study conducted by McAfee found that international cyber spying will be the biggest security threat faced by the US in 2008.
Some of the findings from the study are:
1. The governments are using the internet for cyber crimes and cyber attacks. Many of the attacks are originating from China. The Chinese government has publicly announced that it is pursuing activities in cyber espionage.
The Chinese government has been accused of attacks in India, the US and Germany. James Mulvenon, the director of the Center of Intelligence and research said that the Chinese were first to use cyberattacks for political and military goals.
2. About 120 countries are now using the world wide web for war espionage.
3. Electricity, air traffic control, financial markets and government computer networks will be the focus of all attacks.
4. Due to the advances in technology, cyber attacks have become more sophisticated, and are able to evade government defenses.
The study is a wake-up call for the US government to shore up its defenses against attacks on its infrastructure.