Comprehensive Report on Cyber Warfare and Information Warfare Dynamics

This report provides a detailed analysis of cyber warfare and information warfare, exploring their definitions, characteristics, and relationship. It begins by defining cyber warfare as a fifth dimension of war, emphasizing its ability to penetrate networks and steal sensitive data. The report discusses the various forms of cyber warfare, including attacks on hardware, software, and denial-of-service attacks. It then defines information warfare as a method of managing information and communication over an opponent, often involving the modification and dissemination of information to demoralize the enemy. The report highlights the interconnectedness of cyber and information warfare, emphasizing their shared goal of violating data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It explores how cyber warfare encompasses attacks on entire systems while information warfare focuses on data manipulation. The report concludes by summarizing the increasing threats posed by cyber and information warfare, underscoring the need for robust IT security measures and a proactive approach to protect against these evolving threats.

Running Head: Cyber warfare
Computer Science

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Abstract
In this report the main concern of cyber warfare has been discussed. Cyber warfare is
used by attackers to destroy the confidentiality of network by making it available to
unauthorized user. Attackers use various weapons to enter the system and misuse it. Cyber
warfare as well as information warfare has been discussed. They are related to each other as
both try to access the sensitive information and making it vulnerable. Cyber warfare is a virus
in which an authority uses tactics to destroy the information of other party. In this report the
relation between information warfare and cyber warfare has been discussed. This report has
been very helpful as it helped in analysing how information warfare and cyber warfare are
different to each other. Cyber warfare has increased in the recent years due to the fact that use
of internet and commercialization of data over internet is considered as reliable.

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Cyber warfare........................................................................................................................................2
Information warfare...............................................................................................................................3
Relation of cyber warfare to information warfare..................................................................................3
Summary...............................................................................................................................................4

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Introduction
Cyber warfare is considered as a fifth dimension of war, it is penetrating attack. Cyber
warfare can be found on an individual computer network or on a group of computer system
connected over internet. Cyber warfare basically weakens the network by exploiting the
information by stealing the sensitive data and result in sabotage. The one who performs cyber
warfare can be individual person or group of hackers (Itpro, 2015). They can be an
organisation that peruses criminal activities, terrorists or even foreign military government of
different nation. Cyber warfare can be in external form or in internal form. External cyber
warfare is more common and internal warfare is difficult to identify as they are caused due to
malicious activities that are performed either intentionally or unintentionally. Cyber warfare
can be treated as a best strategy to overcome the concern as it is highly anonymous, deniable
and low expenditure on R&D. Globalization of information and cyber warfare is difficult to
identify. These attacks are generally implemented by volunteers of different country. Cyber
warfare mainly targets the stream of military network, government system, e-commerce and
financial institutes (Creative technolgy, 2015). Cyber warfare attacks the hardware and
software by using various weapons that are based on capability, availability and cost of
manufacturing.
Cyber ware can be in any form but focus on the entire network and computers but
information warfare mainly focuses on stealing the data of other components and misusing it
by putting the organisation down in terms of their market place by delivering false and
irrelevant information. In first part of the report cyber warfare has been discussed in detail
and information warfare has also been discussed in the second section (Elder, Levis &
Yousefi, 2015). Additionally, the relation between information and cyber warfare has been
analysed, they both are related the only difference is information warfare focuses on stealing
the information whereas cyber warfare covers all the criminal activities that could be perform
over the crime.
Cyber warfare
Cyber warfare is the future of traditional warfare. It helps in fighting with the remote
enemies through the use of new and advanced weapons including viruses and programs that
alter the ability of enemies to operate (Jajodia, Shakarian, Subrahmanian, Swarup & Wang,
2015). Cyber warfare can be described as the use of technology that violet the normal
operations of programs in an organisation. The hackers attack on the system for getting
sensitive information and using it in military purpose. It is difficult to identify the individual
behind the attack.
Cyber warfare is a conflict on the network that is done intentionally by another nation.
The entities of other nations try to disrupt the activities of an organisation. Thus it can be
stated that cyber warfare is an attack that is penetrated in the system due to terrorist or group
of hackers from other nation. Cyber warfare can be in the form of virus, malware or worms
that degrades the performance of the system (Robinson, Jones & Janicke, 2015). Denial of

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service is another type of cyber warfare that prevents the authorized to access the information
and resources on the network (Hammargren, 2014). This is a problematic situation as the
valid users suffer due to some unauthorised users. It can also take the form of stealing the
data from government and higher authorizes (Ventre, 2016).
Information warfare
Information warfare is a method used for managing the information and
communication over an opponent. Information warfare is a process in which the actual
information is modifies but still it is trusted but the target audience as they are not aware
about the modification. It is not visible when the information war fare has occurred and how
it has affected the system (Hills & Batchelor, 2015). It can be considered as a conflict
between two environments and the reason is information change. It is a very sensitive way to
exploit the business by leakage its data. Information warfare is a combination of electronic
warfare and cyber warfare.
Information warfare occurs due to ways of collecting information over the channel
and information protection methods. These are the ways that causes severe damage to the
data packets. Strategic information warfare has certain features like low entry cost, poor
access boundaries and attack assessment problem (Darczewska, 2014). Information warfare is
a way in which valid information is modified and then it is propagated in public to
demoralize the enemy. Information warfare impacts the society as some irrelevant
information or video has been made public that scatters the business as individuals mainly
focus on what is showcased in the media. Information warfare is capable for breaking the
capability of attacker to attack the system and find ways to terminate the war.
Relation of cyber warfare to information warfare
In today’s era the increasing criminal attacks have led to cyber warfare as they try to
attack the confidential data by using critical infrastructure. Cyber warfare is increasing due to
the use of internet; even if the system is secured hackers are penetrating in the system through
side doors to exploit them. Cyber warfare can be defined as the use of computer technology
for violating the security of organisation. In this information is hacked for military as well as
strategic purpose. Cyber warfare is different from information warfare as cyber warfare
includes attack on entire system. These attack result in complete shutdown of system or some
issues in implications (Thornton, 2015). These attacks are not only based on computers but it
may affect the power grids or aircraft system. On the other that information warfare is a
technique in which data is used as a weapon. Cyber warfare is used for obtaining the data
whereas information warfare is used to make unfair use of the data packets (Atgiller, 2015).
Information warfare is hacking of data without the actual user to know it and misusing the
data on web.
Information warfare and cyber warfare are related to each other as they both violets
the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. An information based attack include that
an unauthorized user attempt to copy data directly or they try to modify the information by

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altering the data packets (Floridi & Taddeo, 2014). Cyber warfare is focused more on
computers and communication channels whereas information warfare involves much more
than computers and networks. Cyber warfare is a digital form of attack that is comprised of
operations in the form to destroy the information. This can be done by transmitting the
information over the media and positing information against the norms. Cyber warfare is
much wider than information warfare as it focuses on all the hardware devices that stores
information, software’s as well as human practices.
Information warfare or information operations is the integrated form of electronic
warfare in which network operations as well as psychological operations of the system are
used to corrupt the information of opponent party by making sure that their information has
been secured. There are various capabilities that are used in information warfare like public
affairs, cyberspace operations or military information. These capabilities may include
broadcasting the information on the web which will lower the morale of opponent team. In
this attack they move the inappropriate information in the market which leads to loss of
integrity (Dobson, Rege& Carley, 2018). Cyberspace has been used to exploit the
information warfare.
Cyber warfare and information warfare are related to each other as they both cause
real damage to the nation and has a high cost related to it if not dealt effectively. These are
the problems that can be resolved by undertaking proper IT securities. Information warfare is
a part of cyber warfare as, cyber terrorism along with information warfare comprises of cyber
warfare. Individual, businesses, organisations and nations are facing threats due to the
increasing use of internet (Colarik & Janczewski, 2015). Cyber warfare and information
warfare mainly refers to the use of internet services and computers. They can also be used to
conduct warfare acts against different internet groups. Both the warfare are related as they
include propagating the information in the network, vandalizing websites, denial of service as
well as certain terrorist activities.
In the increasing tension between different countries all across the globe, it has become
essential for the organisations to make sure that they have an effective mechanism for
keeping themselves ready for both these wars (Elder, Lewis & Yousefi, 2015). Their
relationship can be understood by the fact that information warfare actually destroys the
system so as to gain advantage over their rivals. Better the technology developed by any
organisation, better is the chances of their win over their competitors. The increasing hacking
activities all around the world provide a close linkage with each other. This is due to the fact
that when the hackers attack at any system they are somehow attacking the information that is
present within the system. They both are done so as to exceed from others. Apart from this it
helps in gaining of the competitive advantage which is necessary in the competition that is
present in the environment. Information warfare is also practiced so as to damage the quality
of the system.
Since the data has become the new method of paralysing any other competitors hence it is
seen that many country like Chain and Russia has used it for the attacking the other countries
crucial sites. It is also to be seen as a fact that most of the information presently resides in the

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cyber world. This deepens their relationship. Information warfare has actually supported the
cyber warfare. This is because all the nations want to gather information of other nations for
making decisions that is against their opponents. In this regards the cyber world plays a much
greater role.
Apart from this it is also to be understood that any attack whether in the cyber warfare or
information warfare ultimately destroys the competencies of the firm. This can also be
attributed by the fact that countries are developing new technologies for having more
powerful in both these kinds of warfare.
Summary
Thus it can be summarized from this report that cyber warfare and information
warfare is increasing day by day. Cyber warfare can be caused by other nation on the network
of computers to spoil all the operations. Cyber warfare in turn degrades the performance of
the system as it sometimes allows invalid user to access the information over the network. It
spoils the integrity and confidentiality of data. Information warfare arrives in the system
when proper access controls are been designed. It allows the attacker to enter the system from
side doors and spoil the security of the information. It be concluded that it is difficult to
identify and define both the cyber warfare and information warfare. The rise in cyber-attacks
is due to the use of internet and because of storing all the sensitive information over the
network. In this report the relation between cyber warfare and information warfare has been
summarised. These two terms are different in many ways as cyber warfare is used for
obtaining the information from the network whereas information warfare is used to make
unfair use of the data packets by modifying it and propagating false information.

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