The Militarisation of Cyber Security as a Source of Global Tension

Cyber security is seen as one of the most pressing national security issues of our time. Due to sophisticated and highly publicized cyber attacks, most prominently among them the sabotaging computer worm Stuxnet, it is increasingly framed as a strategic-military concern. The result of this perception is too much attention on the low probability of a large scale cyber attack, a focus on the wrong policy solutions, and a detrimental atmosphere of insecurity and tension in the international system. Though cyber operations will be a significant component of future conflicts, the role of the military in cyber security will be limited and needs to be carefully defined.