In cyber warfare, new computer technologies target the government structures, financial institutions, critical energy and transportation infrastructures, and ultimately the national morale and determination.

 

Although politically motivated cyber-attacks against the government fall into the category of cyber warfare, it is important to note that not all of these attacks are politically motivated. Such attacks which typically are carried out because of economic or personal motives are not, in the final analysis, regarded as part of cyber warfare.

 

Accordingly, understanding the distinction between what is seen as warfare and non-warfare in cyberspace is crucial to developing appropriate strategies for countering these attacks.

 

Cyber ​​Terrorism

 

Cyber terrorism is the use of the internet and computer networks as well as the facilities they create to destroy the basic structures of society such as energy, transportation, administrative activities and affect a government, citizens, groups and so on. In this way, the terrorists can use computers to strike fear and panic into the hearts of people, and by creating technical problems in computers on which the economic, social, and even cultural and political life of the people depend, cause them harm and difficulties and initiate a media warfare on a large scale.

 

Security Threats and Challenges in Cyber Warfare

 

The nature of threats in cyber warfare varies according to the actors. Thus, the nature of cyber threats will vary depending on whether the attacks are designed by the governments, ideological or political extremist groups, organized criminals, or small groups.

 

Nonetheless, the common point between all cyber threats is that they all are asymmetric. Accordingly, cyber warfare is commonly referred to as asymmetric warfare. In general, cyber threats can be divided into the following categories:

 

a. Direct Military Threats in Cyberspace

 

Having very specific military functions, cyber ​​technologies can directly affect the battlefield. The military sector of a country depends on cyber technologies to train and equip forces, utilize armament systems, satellites and communication networks, or process information.

Today, the outcome a warfare is no longer determined by destructions, explosions and erosive operations, rather, the mismanagement in controlling the cyberspace can play a decisive role in the outcome of the military confrontations. In addition, intelligence, as one of the central factors of war, will be a part of all future operations and battles.

 

b. Indirect and Civilian Cyber Threats

 

The main goal of conventional warfare is to confront the enemy by attacking the government structures, financial institutions, vital infrastructures in the energy and transportation sectors, and destroying the national morale and determination. Likewise, the same goals are pursued in cyber warfare.

 

The actors of cyber warfare can achieve their strategic and political goals without engaging in military confrontations.

 

c. Terrorism and Extremism

 

The secretive and virtual asymmetric nature of cyberspace has created a suitable platform that has been used by terrorist groups and organized criminals.

The internet allows terrorist groups to share their techniques, promote their messages, and recruit new members and train them. What accelerates the success of these groups in cyberspace is that it is a low-cost and available technology.

 

d. Cyber ​​Espionage

 

Cyber ​​espionage is the most common form of cyber activity. Whether aimed at disclosing confidential government information or stealing sensitive military or business information, cyber ​​espionage is a virtual operation that seeks to gain an intelligence advantage to achieve greater success at the lowest possible cost.

 

It can be said that cyber espionage affects the information equilibrium between different governments. Of course, not only governments but also defense and trading companies as well as international NGOs can be targeted by cyber spies.

 

e. Financial Cybercrimes

 

Financial cybercrimes refer to actions taken in cyberspace by criminal organizations for profit and financial gain. The most important motivation of these groups is to earn money. However, in some cases, they plan to harm individuals. These criminal acts, which are designed by criminal organizations with material motivations, cannot be regarded as cyber warfare. However, if these attacks continue, they can deal serious blows to the stability and security of a country by destroying the financial balance of the government.

 

f. Psychological Cyber Warfare

 

The most important aspect of cyber warfare in the modern world is its psychological aspect. Psychological operations in cyberspace are constituted of planned actions carried out to convey certain information to an external audience, influence emotions, motivations, thinking power and reasoning, and ultimately change the behavior of organizations and groups. In addition, an operation to steal information in cyberspace may take place with the aim of creating psychological distress.

 

The Cyber War the United States has Waged against Iran   

 

Some of the strategies and techniques that the United States has used by the means of social networks to wage a soft war against Iran include the formation of political groups in the internet, Internet espionage, forming virtual communities, inciting civil disobedience, digital democracy, influencing the public opinion by the means of internet, the internet sabotage, raising an objection to the governmental control of information through the internet, gaining information about social and political systems by the means of internet, blocking the websites and filtering them, holding referendums on the internet, creating virtual political groups, directly conveying the ideas and views of the opposition groups to the people of the country, creating pressure and influential virtual groups, legitimacy functions, creating new political demands, supporting the dissident currents, increasing the convergence of domestic and foreign like-minded groups, reducing the influence of national and domestic media and spreading rumors and superstitions.

 

Some of the Models of the United States’ Soft War against Iran

 

Creating political groups on the internet using virtual social networks: the creation of political groups on the internet, which either are apparently not affiliated with a particular political institution or group or have concealed this issue, is one of the methods used by the United States to act against Iran. Some prominent group-affiliated online newspapers have overtly anti-regime orientations and manage a series of destructive activities against the Iranian political system.

 

Information leakage: using information leakage techniques, especially confidential information of Iran, in cyberspace is another method employed by the opponents of the system to confront the official policies of the country. The disclosure of Iranian confidential military information by the United States websites in November 2009, and the attempts of the Zionist regime to recruit Persian-speaking spies were among the measures taken in this regard. In the meantime, it was announced that some classified information about Iranian missiles, including the Hoot missile, had been posted on the Internet. Moreover, it was reported that the Israel Security Agency, known as “Shin Bet,” had published an unusual advertisement in the newspapers and was looking for Persian speakers to train them as spies.

Cyber spying: this phenomenon occurred in the form of gaining access to personal information via software that is installed in personal computers to steal the information and send it to a certain source as long as the user is online. But this is just one type of cyber espionage. Cyber ​​espionage is as dangerous as traditional spying and is one of the methods of soft subversion.

 

This method tries to use the opposition groups or ordinary people who do not have political affiliations but can provide good information about places and situations. Publishing the message of hiring a cyber spy by Israel and the United States to confront the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of these cases. Haaretz used the heading “Do you speak Persian? Israel wants you,” for several days.

 

Electronic civil disobedience: virtual demonstrations, hacking popular sites and posting pictures, news and political content against the government as well as using google bombing are the most important methods of electronic civil disobedience in which not the government, but the people directly manage the information flow to raise an objection to social and political problems or oppose the ruling system. This struggle is merely based on words, yet it is an effective step towards the formation of a social movement and putting pressure on the government.

 

Digital democracy: another United States strategy for soft overthrow is to promote democracy using new technologies called digital democracy. Founding research and media institutions, such as Freedom House, Washington Prism, the Foundation for Democracy in Iran, as well as supporting some of the internet websites, online newspapers and satellite media, are at the top of the United States agenda. The Center for International Media Assistance, known as CIMA, is one of the American non-profit organizations which claims to promote democracy throughout the world by supporting its affiliated media. This center works to develop independent media and bring together a broad range of experts to discuss the necessity of the role of independent media in promoting democracy and soft overthrow. According to a law approved in 1983, the center’s budget comes from the United States government.

 

In order to confront the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States of America uses the mentioned social networks and methods to organize the protests and spread rumors inside the country.

 

Use of VPNs in cyber warfare: using VPNs is another method of soft war used by the United States in cyberspace. In doing so, some websites teach users how to bypass web filters. For instance, in one of these methods, it is stated: “Have a permanent VPN with super speed. You only need to have an internet host.”

 

Psychological terrorism, emphasizing on regional-ethnic demands and provoking the ethnic tendencies: this is another strategy of the United States in its soft war against Iran. launching websites and blogs which promote ethnic diversity and threatening materials have fueled ethnic conflicts. Accordingly, the United States seeks to stir up ethnic tensions and demands by the means of virtual social networks.

 

Sectarianism via the internet and supporting the religious minorities: it is another method that the United States uses to advance its goals in Iran. Take, for example, the United States’ support for networks such as the Black Metal Racist Association (promoting racism in Iran), the Satanism Movement, the Arianism Movement, and so on.

 

Reference: Human Sciences Research Journal. Vol 4, No 11, Summer 2018, Pp 77-94.

 

Archive of The Enemies of the Islamic Revolution