Cyberwarfare

Perpetrators and victims usually act as if it never happened, while the evidence is designed to erase itself. Cyberwarfare is a potent weapon in political conflicts, espionage, and propaganda. Difficult to detect a priori, it is often recognized only after significant damage has been done. Gaining offensive capability on the cyber battlefield figures prominently in the national strategies of many countries and is explicitly stated in the doctrines of several, including China, Russia, and the U.S. It is generally understood they are laying the groundwork for potential cyber conflicts by hacking the networks of adversaries and allies alike.