State-sponsored cyber-offences

Resumo

In the post-industrial societies, computers are ubiquitous
and pervasive. Besides, they are interconnected. As these
characteristics give unprecedented productivity, they
also present risks never faced before. Cyber offences pose
the threat of powerful nations, both in the military and
economic dimensions, being confronted by much weaker
states, or even proto-states or terrorist groups. At the
same time, cyber superpowers have the ability of remotely
and surreptitiously coerce opponents without deploying
troops in the field. This paper outlines the threats posed
by state-sponsored cyber-offences and analyzes their
characteristics, describing their applications in the light
of some traditional military concepts, and also their
motivations, the nature of their operations, the warriors
and the weapons used.