The cyberwar battlefield exists in every part of society in which people live and work, according to a national security expert scheduled to present at next month's third annual SC World Congress.
The battlefield could involve the control systems that provide electricity, energy, telecommunications, money and transportation, Daniel Kuehl, professor of information operations at the Information Resources Management College of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C told SCMagazineUS.com.
Moreover, the fighting exists in all the systems on which civil society and the military depend, he said.
“In reality, the battle space that we are talking about could involve every single thing we do,” Kuehl said.
The third annual SC World Congress is scheduled for Nov. 10 and 11 at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City. The event will bring together security practitioners to discuss the emerging risks they face and solutions to help solve those threats. Attendees will walk away with technical tips, practical documents and templates that they can immediately apply to their organization.
During an SC World Congress session called “Cyberwar: Where is the battlefield?” Kuehl will discuss in depth the ins and outs of the cyberwarfare. The session is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. on Nov. 11.
Click here to listen to a podcast about this session.
Kuehl's areas of expertise include national security in the information age, the law of war, the strategic use of the internet, public diplomacy, strategic communication, information warfare and operations. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1994, after nearly 22 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force.
The systems that society depends on for electricity, fuel, transportation and communications are some of the same networks on which U.S. military relies, Kuehl said. It stands to reason that those systems will be targeted in the next armed conflict.
“I'm not convinced that the private sector [is aware] that they may well be a legitimate target in the future,” he said. “That's one of the values of this conference – even if it just nudges the awareness up a little bit – that's better than not doing it.”
Click here for more information or to register for SC World Congress.