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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: The Dark Art of Cyberwar. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

The Dark Art of Cyberwar
by possibly noteworthy at 7:44 am EST, Nov 14, 2008

"[We] need to get together and at least try and figure out what the rules of the game are."
"We might have less collateral damage if we can decide when cyberwarfare is allowed."

From the archive, a selection of worrywarts and their blithesome brethren:

According to one who was present, Churchill suddenly blurted out: "Are we animals? Are we taking this too far?"

John Arquilla worries about a “wildcard” threat: “individual hackers of very great skill.”

"You might call it, the art of fighting, without fighting."

Bush: first of all, we have said that whatever we do ... will be legal.

Finally:

The Vista Content Protection specification could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history.

RE: The Dark Art of Cyberwar
by Decius at 9:12 am EST, Nov 14, 2008

possibly noteworthy wrote:
"[We] need to get together and at least try and figure out what the rules of the game are."
"We might have less collateral damage if we can decide when cyberwarfare is allowed."

My impression is that most cyberwarfare is performed by mobs of more or less independent actors. A state can influence them but it cannot control them. So the whole idea of deciding when it is allowed seems silly. Its going to happen whenever enough people in a given civilization get pissed off enough to do it. Perhaps states that aren't actively discouraging this should be seen as irresponsible. Imagine a 1940's era propaganda poster with the text "Your bot net army may compromise a resource that we're exploiting! Leave the strategic decision making to us! War: Shit's chess, it ain't checkers!"