Learn More About Information Warfare

Information warfare is the use of information technologies to corrupt or destroy an enemy's information and industrial infrastructure. Often an attack via information warfare includes electronic warfare, or using electronic devices to destroy or damage computer systems.

There are additional types of information warfare such as network warfare where people attack a nation's network infrastructure; this would often include banking or financial networks as well as defense, transportation and utility networks. Although this is often perceived as an attack carried out in a 'hacker' manner it could just as easily occur through the use of conventional weapons on the actual physical information networks. A terrorist attack using explosives against a compound housing banking servers, for example, could achieve the same effect.

Although our nation's information infrastructure has undergone some fairly radical and drastic changes post-9/11 it would still not be that difficult to bring our way of life to a halt via an information warfare attack. Pre-9/11 although was required was strikes in less than 100 different computer installations to completely disable every bank and financial institution and effectively cripple our economy.

Although measures are in place in our nation's information networks have been fairly diversified, spread out and backed up both conventional and electronic means could still be used to carry out information warfare attacks that could be fairly successful in eliminating localized technology infrastructure. This could include knocking out local power grids which, as demonstrated in the past, can in fact lead to widespread chain reactions or perhaps a simple disabling of phone and cable lines in a local area which would all but eliminate the Internet. Although this may not seem so severe it would disable the use of credit and debit cards, the ability to verify checks and most likely result in bank closures and inability to function. This sort of thing lasting for a period of time can create a large number of very significant problems in a local community.

Hopefully now you've learned a bit more about information warfare, what it is and some possible scenarios. In this age of technology it is only a matter of time before terrorism is realized in this form. As you can see information warfare, while so used to describe virtual or cyber attacks, is quite commonly used as an umbrella term to also include attacks of the conventional nature against information infrastructure. Although there is never been a large-scale or serious information warfare attack in our nation it is possible and in the future quite plausible.