Anonymous’ Cyberwar Against ISIS and the Asymmetrical Nature of Cyber Conflicts
By Ralph Martins
| July 31, 2018
Warfare in the physical world, both asymmetrical and conventional, has occurred throughout history. However, war in cyberspace is a more recent phenomenon, and there is still much to be explored and understood. Because cyberspace is inherently asymmetric, many lessons learned from asymmetric warfare in the physical world also apply to cyber conflicts.
This article will examine the online battle waged by Anonymous against ISIS and analyze five asymmetrical characteristics of cyber conflicts: the vulnerability of conventionally-powerful actors to attacks from relatively weaker adversaries, the unconventional nature of offensive tactics, the low level of intensity of those tactics, the ability of actors to organize and aggressively operate in an extremely decentralized manner, and the strategic goal of breaking willpower or forcing a change of policy. Understanding the asymmetrical nature of cyber conflicts and applying appropriate lessons learned will lead to a more effective defensive posture against cyber-aggressors and facilitate a more secure operating environment in cyberspace.
Anonymous’ Cyberwar Against ISIS and the Asymmetrical Nature of Cyber Conflicts