Foreign Policy Made Simple

Cyberwarfare: Who are the Cyber-Superpowers?

Cyberwarfare: Who are the Cyber-Superpowers?

In the ever-evolving landscape of global conflict, cyberspace has emerged as a critical battleground, with nations vying for dominance in cyber capabilities. This article, as part of the series on Cyberwarfare, explores the leading cybersuperpowers—countries that wield significant influence and prowess in digital warfare, shaping the future of international relations and global security.

The U.S

  • As we know, the U.S. has the largest military budget in the world and this budget includes money to be allocated towards cybersecurity.

  • The Biden administration requested $12.7 billion for federal cybersecurity spending in fiscal 2024. Agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command play crucial roles in offensive and defensive cyber operations.

  • The Department of Defense overseas USCYBERCOM. They focus primarily on projects aimed at advancing cyber capabilities, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and engaging in offensive cyber operations.

China

  • China is stepping up its cyber game with bigger investments and bolder strategies. In April 2024, they launched the Information Support Force (ISF) as part of the People’s Liberation Army. The ISF focuses on command and control, information security, and offensive cyber capabilities to dominate modern warfare.

  • One of their key projects is The Great Firewall, a massive internet censorship and surveillance system. It blocks access to many foreign websites, social media platforms, and news outlets, keeping a tight grip on information within China.

  • On the offensive side, there’s Operation Cloud Hopper, a cyber espionage campaign by the Chinese state-sponsored hacking group APT10. This operation targets managed IT service providers (MSPs) to infiltrate the networks of their clients, which include major enterprises across North America, Europe, and South Asia.

Russia

39 states were hit by the 2016 Russian cyber attacks | The Outline

  • Russia continues to develop their cybersecurity and cyberwarfare infrastructure to strategically position itself as a cyber superpower. Agencies like the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) lead its cyber initiatives. 

  • One notable aspect of Russia’s cyber strategy is its integration of cyber operations with traditional military actions, using them to complement and enhance physical warfare efforts.

  • This can be seen in Russia’s war against Ukraine, as they have launched attacks on critical infrastructure, government agencies, and private sector organizations in conjunction with military advances. 

Israel

  • Israel, known as the “Startup Nation,” is a leader in cybersecurity and innovation. Unit 8200, part of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Intelligence Corps, is Israel’s elite cyber intelligence unit responsible for signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption, specializing in cyber espionage and defensive operation. It has been credited with several high-profile cyber operations, including the development of the Stuxnet worm in collaboration with the United States.

  • Recently, Israel developed a “cyber dome,” similar to its Iron Dome missile defense system, to fend off cyberattacks from Iran. Israel also uses cyber operations against Palestine and Hamas. For instance, after the October attacks by Hamas, Israeli DDoS attacks increased, targeting Palestinian banks, internet services, and media websites.

Works Cited

Stuxnet | CFR Interactives, https://www.cfr.org/cyber-operations/stuxnet.

“Are There Any Ethical Issues in Cyber Security? – The Stemettes Zine.” Stemettes, 31 May 2021, https://stemettes.org/zine/articles/are-there-any-ethical-issues-in-cybersecurity/.

“Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program.” CISA, https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/programs/continuous-diagnostics-and-mitigation-cdm-program.

Craig, David J. “The Age of Cyberwarfare | Columbia Magazine.” Columbia Magazine, https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/age-cyberwarfare.

“Cyber Case Study: SolarWinds Supply Chain Cyberattack.” Ollis/Akers/Arney, 17 October 2021, https://ollisakersarney.com/blog/cyber-case-study-solarwinds-supply-chain-cyberattack/.

“Cybersecurity GIFs – Find & Share on GIPHY.” Giphy, https://giphy.com/explore/cybersecurity.

“DarkChronicles: the consequences of the Colonial Pipeline attack.” Kaspersky ICS CERT, 21 May 2021, https://ics-cert.kaspersky.com/publications/reports/2021/05/21/darkchronicles-the-consequences-of-the-colonial-pipeline-attack/.

Doubleday, Justin. “Biden budget request includes $13B for cybersecurity, continuing upward trend.” Federal News Network, 11 March 2024, https://federalnewsnetwork.com/budget/2024/03/biden-budget-request-includes-13b-for-cybersecurity-continuing-upward-trend/.

Edionwe, Tolulope. “39 states were hit by the 2016 Russian cyber attacks.” The Outline, 13 June 2017.

“Faculty NPS.” Ethics of cyberwar attacks, https://faculty.nps.edu/ncrowe/attackethics.htm.

Farhat, Jawhar. “Unit 8200: Israel’s Stealthy Sentinel.” Grey Dynamics, 16 March 2024, https://greydynamics.com/unit-8200-israels-stealthy-sentinel/.

Fidler, David P. “Transforming Election Cybersecurity.” Council on Foreign Relations, 17 May 2017, https://www.cfr.org/report/transforming-election-cybersecurity.

Filkins, Dexter. “Was There a Connection Between a Russian Bank and the Trump Campaign?” The New Yorker, 8 October 2018, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/was-there-a-connection-between-a-russian-bank-and-the-trump-campaign.

Giles, Keir. “Russian cyber and information warfare in practice.” Chatham House, 14 December 2023, https://www.chathamhouse.org/2023/12/russian-cyber-and-information-warfare-practice.

“Giphy: Cyberwarfare.” https://giphy.com/explore/cyberwarfare.

Goldman, Emily O. “Lessons From Israel’s Rise as a Cyber Power.” Lawfare, 2 February 2024, https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lessons-from-israel-s-rise-as-a-cyber-power.

Iran International Newsroom. “Iran International Newsroom.” Israel Builds ‘Cyber Dome’ to Counter Attacks from Iran and Proxies, 3 May 2024, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405036209.

Kaur, Gagandeep. “Cyberattacks on Israel intensify as the war against Hamas rages: Check Point.” CSO Online, 23 November 2023, https://www.csoonline.com/article/1249135/cyberattacks-on-israel-intensify-as-the-war-against-hamas-rages-check-point.html.

Kerr, Jaclyn A. Assessing Russian Cyber and Information Warfare in Ukraine: Expectations, Realities, and Lessons, 22 November 2023, https://www.cna.org/reports/2023/11/assessing-russian-cyber-and-information-warfare-in-ukraine.

Kilner, Pete. “Ethics of Cyber Operations: ‘5th Domain’ Creates Challenges, Needs New Rules.” AUSA, 21 December 2017, https://www.ausa.org/articles/ethics-cyber-operations-%E2%80%985th-domain%E2%80%99-creates-challenges-needs-new-rules.

Lee, Ronald, et al. “Lessons Learned from the SolarWinds Cyberattack, and the Future for the New York Department of Financial Services’ Cybersecurity Regulation | Advisories.” Arnold & Porter, 11 June 2021, https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/advisories/2021/06/lessons-learned-from-the-solarwinds-cyberattack.

Lim, Bram. “Cyberwarfare Conundrum: An Ethical Analysis – Viterbi Conversations in Ethics.” Viterbi Conversations in Ethics, 17 February 2022, https://vce.usc.edu/volume-5-issue-3/cyberwarfare-conundrum-an-ethical-analysis/.

Maizland, Lindsay. “The Colonial Pipeline Incident Shows the Need for Broader Thinking about Cyber Resilience.” Council on Foreign Relations, 20 May 2021, https://www.cfr.org/blog/colonial-pipeline-incident-shows-need-broader-thinking-about-cyber-resilience.

Nouwens, Meia. “China’s new Information Support Force.” IISS, 3 May 2024, https://www.iiss.org/en/online-analysis/online-analysis/2024/05/chinas-new-information-support-force/.

Sakellariadis, John, et al. “Ukraine gears up for new phase of cyber war with Russia.” Politico, 25 February 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/25/ukraine-russian-cyberattacks-00084429.

Sammarco, Natalie. “The Great Firewall and the Perils of Censorship in Modern China.” Yale Journal of International Affairs, 11 June 2023, https://www.yalejournal.org/publications/the-great-firewall-and-the-perils-of-censorship-in-modern-china.

Shankar, Niranjan. “The Biden Administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges.” Middle East Institute, 21 February 2024, https://www.mei.edu/publications/biden-administrations-national-cybersecurity-strategy-opportunities-and-challenges

Taddeo, Mariarosaria. “Why we need philosophy and ethics of cyber warfare.” University of Oxford, 16 June 2022, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-06-16-why-we-need-philosophy-and-ethics-cyber-warfare

Townsend, Kevin. “Operation Cloud Hopper: China-based Hackers Target Managed Service ProvidersK.” Security Week, 6 April 2017.

Young, Kelli. “Cyber Case Study: SolarWinds Supply Chain Cyberattack.” coverlink insurance, 18 October 2021, https://coverlink.com/case-study/solarwinds-supply-chain-cyberattack/.