Name: How cyberattacks threaten real-world peace
Uploaded: 2011-10-19T15:27:46Z
Duration: 9 min 7 s
Description: Nations can now attack other nations with cyber weapons: silent strikes on another country's computer systems, power grids, dams that leave no trace behind. (Think of the Stuxnet worm.) Guy-Philippe Goldstein shows how cyberattacks can leap between the digital and physical worlds to prompt armed conflict -- and how we might avert this global security hazard.

Nations can now attack other nations with cyber weapons: silent strikes on another country's computer systems, power grids, dams that leave no trace behind. (Think of the Stuxnet worm.) Guy-Philippe Goldstein shows how cyberattacks can leap between the digital and physical worlds to prompt armed conflict -- and how we might avert this global security hazard.

How cyberattacks threaten real-world peace

Cyber weapons have the power to cause real-world destruction and escalate conflicts between nations. Attacks have already triggered massive blackouts and crippled military systems, sometimes leaving no trace of the perpetrator. The global arms race in cyberspace blurs the line between offense and defense, making it nearly impossible to distinguish friend from foe. As uncertainty grows, the risk of miscalculation and unintended war rises steeply.