COM 340 Third Post: Warfare in Digital Age

Cyber war continues to have a strong impact on the changes in society.  Syria, after already having been threatened by the United States, attempts a series of hacking techniques to try to sabotage major U.S. websites.  Through the use of equipment disruption, Syrian Electronic Army knocked down websites including New York Times, Huffington Post and Twitter. As stated by U.S. Today, this disruption to the media outlets dealt out by the Syrian Electronic Army, could potentially lead to warfare in the digital age.

The technical capabilities of surrounding countries is proof that cyber war can be a threat.  Technology serves as a main basis for communicating and without the internet, it is hard to picture where the world would be without it. Knowing that there are ways and maneuvers to shutting down major websites opens an opportunity to crash a plethora of other electronic areas, such as traffic lights and electricity companies.  This threat should be something to think about. Technology will have to advance in order to secure the World Wide Web.  Stronger passwords, codes, and blockages are needed just to help bond the protection of the United States and any other places that are being violated.  Although the option of attacking Syria with real missiles seems to scare, the U.S. cannot deny the affect of websites being intruded upon.  Syria can see everything that is done, and also post any information they wish, giving them an advantage of gaining an audience that is beyond Russia.  Killing off Syrians is a possibility, but how will that stop people from talking, spreading rumors and beginning more fights across the globe online? The U.S. can potentially lose the most efficient way of communicating because the internet will be full of incredible information.

The internet is always changing, whether people know it or not. Social networks continue to grow, fads come and go. The web will never be the same; however, it could be worse if the Syrian Electronic Army shut down not just some, but the majority of important U.S. websites. The internet, first of all, would never be credible. What is true and what is not? If Syria is uploading information about the attacks on websites like New York Times and The Huffington Post, what should society believe to be moral? Secondly, without major social networking site security, hacking would be a constant struggle to deal with. No one would want to be online, and if they were, discussions would be all but settling. Information coming from anywhere could bring up fights and arguments, which could potentially become public. Although the web is never the same, cyber war has the effect to change the web and the users who believe everything they see.