The next few are short chapters (Thank. Heavens.). Today we talk about danger in war. Which, let’s be honest, generally speaking Cyber forces aren’t exactly in the most physical danger. In fact, you’re probably picturing something like this when someone mentions “cyber war”.
(image credit Cam Cardow)
Well, it turns out that there’s more this. This has most recently been demonstrated with the IDF physical attack on a facility used by Hamas hackers. One argument goes that these were clearly state-backed actors in a state-backed facility, so no big deal. What about the USCYBERCOM messaging in advance of the 2018 mid-term elections? (note: make sure to read the caption on the photo) There’s not really clear lines about exactly who can be targeted with what. Who gets blown up, and who just gets the crap scared out of them when a foreign government identifies that they are the actual humans behind the keyboard?
Point being: while we may think of Cyber troops as being so far away from battle as to never face danger. But that isn’t entirely true. They may be considered to be about as safe as a modern General. Spoiler: modern Generals aren’t completely safe.
Carl doesn’t have a whole lot to say about danger in war at the moment. He largely paints a picture of just how weird and slightly insane battle is. Remember: he was a combat veteran by the time he was a teenager. He saw many men deal with thier first battles, and the change that comes over them once they’ve done that.
In closing, “Danger in war belongs to its friction. A correct idea of it is necessary for true understanding, and for that reason it is mentioned here.” While Cyber soldiers may not always be on the front lines, anyone in uniform is at a certain risk, so they need to understand what they are walking into.