Cyberspace as the dominant military and national security domain

Cyberspace as the Most Dominant Domain

Cyberspace

Cyberspace is the indefinite place where all online communications take place. It can also be defined in computer networks as the electronic medium. The name was coined by William Gibson a science fiction author. When he coined the name, he was looking for a word to describe the global computer network he was envisioning. The U.S. government defines cyberspace as the country's control system composed of interconnected computers, routers, servers, switches and fiber optic cables Adams, 1997.

It states that cyberspace is the nervous system for the military. The use of electromagnetic spectrum and electromagnetic to modify, store, and exchange information using physical infrastructures and networked information systems can also be used to refer to the cyberspace domain.

The use of cyberspace to attack others is referred to as cyber terrorism. The attacks occur in form of viruses, which are meant to disrupt large-scale computer networks in a country or state. Cyber terrorism is the new domain for war and terrorism. Any intentional use of public internet, networks, and computers to cause harm and destruction for personal gain or ideologies is also referred to as cyber terrorism.

Cyberspace as a dominant domain

Cyberspace is a dominant domain over the others because all the other domains use technologies which are part of the cyberspace. Without these technologies, the other domains would not be able to function properly, or a disruption of the technologies would render the other domains useless. Any attack to a country's cyberspace can lead to the country losing its sensitive information which can be used against the country. The information is stored and transmitted in the cyberspace thus making it vulnerable to attacks from terrorists and other malicious people. Protecting the nation's information from attack will ensure that the country's systems and other domains are working efficiently, and they are ready for any eminent war Molina, 2003.

A breach to the cyberspace can cause the nation to lose all its defenses as they all rely on technology which runs on the cyberspace.

Currently the political, military, economic and social activities depend heavily on the cyberspace, thus, making it more vulnerable to disruptions and usurping its capabilities. The sea cannot be used by mankind without the use of technology, as a person cannot swim for so long. Ships, steam ships and nuclear submarines had to be invented, and they all rely in technology to communicate and perform their duties. No one can navigate through the air without the use of technology, and the use of this domain would heavily be dependent on technology for it success. Using the space requires modern technology to move the satellites, and a disruption or attack of the cyberspace can render the space ships or satellites unusable. Military vehicles also rely in technology for navigation and safety. While the vehicles are navigating through land, they need systems that can detect mines, bombs, or hostile environments to ensure safety of the officers on board. The detections systems use technology that is running on the cyberspace.

This goes to show that cyberspace is the dominant domain in all the other domains. Without it, the other domains would be unable to perform their functions with the necessary requirements. The cyberspace also stores information that helps guide the other domains, and an attack to it would give the enemy access to the information that they can use to take over control of the other domains of the country. This would make the whole defense forces of a country vulnerable unless they realize the attack and make appropriate changes.

Technologies making cyberspace a vital empire

IPv6

IPv6 is the intended successor to IPv4. For most internet connections, the protocol used for communications is IPv4. IPv6 allows for more IP addresses than IPv4, as it uses a new addressing system. The new addressing system allows for 3.4 x 10-38 IP addresses approximately, because it uses 128-bit addresses unlike IPv4 which uses 32-bit addresses. The new addressing system can handle the increasing number of devices connecting to the internet. This technology will also simplify the address assignment aspects, and will inform the user when they change their wireless connection provider.

Optical computing

The use of photons which are produced by diodes or lasers instead of electrons will increase the computing power of machines. This is because photons travel much faster and they can carry more data because of their higher bandwidth. Currently computers are using electrons which move in-an-out of transistors. Majority of research is focusing on replacing the computer components with optical components.

VOIP

VOIP is a computer technology which allows for transmission of voice or telephone calls using the internet. The technology sends the voice data using packets instead of the circuit transmissions that were used traditionally. VOIP calls do not have an extra charge apart from the cost the user pays for the internet connection and access, just in the same way a person is not charged for sending an email Halloran, 2011.

This makes the technology much cheaper, safer and faster to use for the transmission of voice calls.

Wireless networking

Connection of devices to the internet without using cables is the type of network referred to as a wireless network. These networks allow homes, enterprises, and telecommunication networks to avoid using cables within their networks and buildings. These cables are costly to install and are prone to failures that can be caused by many factors. Wireless network use radio waves for its implementation and administration.

3/4G technologies

3G and 4G technologies are the third and fourth generation mobile phone communication standards. 4G is the successor to 3G, and it provides ultra-broadband mobile internet access. Unlike the earlier versions, 4G networks use Internet Protocol-based communications instead of the circuit-switched services used traditionally. 4G networks can also carry higher bit rates than the 3g network.

SCADA

SCADA refers to computer systems that control and monitor infrastructure, or industrial processes. Infrastructure processes include water treatment and distribution, collection and treatment wastewater, pipelines and larger communication systems. Production, manufacturing, power generation, and fabrication are some of the examples of industrial processes. Majority of the control actions do not need any human interaction they are performed automatically by the systems.