As countries launch cyber attacks on each other constantly, online soldiers are becoming increasingly important to militaries around the world.
From setting the thermostat in our homes to the collection of intelligence on international allies; from the way we communicate and meet people to the questionably legal surveillance of American citizens, there’s virtually no aspect of modern life left untouched by the Internet. Global warfare is no exception.
It’s no surprise then that a core of America’s military and its defensive capability is also wrapped up in the world of cyber warfare and cyber security. It’s become the “fifth domain” of warfare for the US military, (alongside land, sea, air, and space).
Eisenhower may have admonished us to beware of the Military Industrial Complex (MIC), but today the MIC has grown even larger as the military forms new alliances with tech and finance to patrol cyberspace. Even so, it could not prevent several recent hacking incidents involving files pertinent to US government employees and officials.
Reporter Shane Harris, the author of @War, talks to WhoWhatWhy‘s Jeff Schechtman about recent developments.
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