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Cyber Weapons

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Why in News?

Cyber Weapons play a key role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

1. About

“Cyber Weapon could be defined as a computer code that is used or designed to be used, with the aim of threatening or causing physical, functional or mental harm to structures, systems or living beings”
“A device or any set of computer instructions intended to unlawfully damage a system acting as a critical infrastructure, its information, the data or programmes therein contained or thereto relevant, or even intended to facilitate the interruption, total or partial, or alteration of its operations”
Cyber weapons can be classified according to the following four parameters:
- Precision – That is the capability to target only the specific objective and reduce collateral damages
- Intrusion – the level of penetration inside the target
- Visibility – the capability to remain undetected
- Ease of Implementation – a measure of the resources needed to develop the specific cyber weapon

2. Advantages of usage of Cyber Weapons

Support offensive operations by destroying the enemy’s defence/critical infrastructure
Probe the technological capabilities of the adversary by evaluating the ability of an agent to infect the enemy system
Cyber weapons are more efficient and less expensive
The attack is carried out at the speed of light
Cyber weapons are less noisy (stealth weapons) – no one wants to acknowledge the vulnerabilities of their system
Attribution is very difficult – the possibility to operate under cover makes cyber weapons very attractive
Cyber weapons are offence dominant and ideal weapons for asymmetric warfare – the warfare of the 21st century
The preparation phase of cyber weapons is easy to hide from prying eyes and the development of cyber weapons is hard to identify
The above advantages make cyber weapons very attractive to those “small” states that despite having reduced funds for military expenses can compete with the most powerful countries in the new domain
At present, nearly 140 countries in the world are engaged in the development of offensive cyber warfare capability