Two world wars had raged within three decades, costing over 100 million lives, when history’s most destructive weapon was deployed in August 1945.
The horrific prospect of nuclear-fueled, mutually assured destruction has kept superpowers in check since then, and a cyber equivalent may be just what’s needed as global hostilities turn digital.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has been accompanied by a barrage of cyberattacks on the nation’s power and communications infrastructure, reminding us that the Kremlin views its digital arsenal as being no less important than its aging stock of tanks and missiles. Yet none of these incursions dealt a knock-out blow. One explanation is that Kyiv built up its defenses over the past decade and is now a world leader at fending off such online offensives.