Preface
In the 21st century, nations, nonstate actors, and individuals have a new avenue
to engage in conflict. The development of the Internet has had many unforeseen
effects on human society, enabling massive changes in communications, commerce,
and conflict. So far, the Internet has not fundamentally changed human nature; it
has only allowed for a new means of engaging in normal human behavior, includ-
ing some of the worst human activities. Thus, it is unsurprising that humans have
chosen to continue their criminal, espionage, sabotage, and warfare activities in the
new cyber domain.
Cyber space is definitely not the same as the physical realm, and using it as a
means of conflict does not always follow the same approaches used in the physical
world. In some ways, warfare in the cyber domain is less terrifying than conflict
on land, at sea, or in the air, in part because, to date, no humans have been killed
by a cyber attack. Currently, cyber activities tend to be an enabling mechanism
supporting conflict in other domains, rather than being an entirely separate vec-
tor for violence. However, as more devices are connected and societies become
more dependent upon cyber networks, the possibilities for causing harm grow in
proportion. Further, because the Internet is by definition an international network
that does not halt at national borders, it blurs the line between domestic and global
activities, pushing past the assumed limitations of domestic and international law.
Because a nation may choose to respond to a cyber attack by retaliating in the
physical domain, cyber warfare offers a certain potential for crossover effects. Ulti-
mately, whether an attack is perceived as an irritant or an act of war will largely
depend on the preferences, motivations, and capabilities of the victim more than
the intentions of the actor.
The cyber domain has special characteristics that make it a unique arena for
human conflict. Unlike the physical domains (land, sea, air, and space), the cyber
domain is entirely artificial—and it remains an evolving platform. Although cer-
tain behaviors in cyber space are governed by the limits of what can be performed
within a computer network, it is unclear whether other forms of government
truly apply to the Internet. Certainly, the establishment of computer networks has
challenged many assumptions regarding the limits of legal and ethical behavior.
Because the Internet has outgrown all projections for both its utility and its dan-
gers, it is impossible to predict how it will develop in even the near future, much
less over the remainder of the 21st century.
This volume seeks to provide some clarity about the history and current capabil-
ities of the cyber domain. Its authors have largely, though not exclusively, focused
