What Is Cyber Warfare? Definition, Uses and Insights

Cyber warfare is a form of digital sabotage nation-states use against their enemies. It combines online espionage, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, hacking and other techniques to wreak havoc on vital infrastructure. Successful attacks can disrupt electrical grids, force banks offline and steal military data, making cyber warfare an increasingly common tactic in modern conflicts.

This article explains cyber war, types of cyber warfare and strategies used to defend governments, organizations and individuals from digital attacks.

What Is Cyber Warfare?

There are multiple cyber warfare definitions. Some experts describe it as a series of digital attacks intended to disrupt a nation's governmental and civilian infrastructure. Others agree but hesitate to describe it as cyber warfare unless the attack results in loss of life.¹

Regardless of which definition you agree with, cyber warfare can leave tremendous destruction in its wake. Bad actors that engage in it may gain access to critical data from corporate entities and governments. Their actions can disrupt utilities and telecommunications and sow confusion among the general populace.

It's important to distinguish cyberattacks from traditional war. While cyberattacks can cause severe harm, they don't involve weapons such as guns and bombs. A cyberattack can't seize control of a country's land, but nation-states can (and do) use cyber warfare as a precursor to actual military action.

Tactics and Tools

There are several types of cyber warfare activities nation-states and hackers commonly use. Malware is one tool that invades or disables systems. Hackers may create malware-ridden software programs or find ways to insert malicious code into a target infrastructure. Unsuspecting parties may download the malware or unintentionally install it by opening an infected email attachment.

Phishing occurs when an attacker tricks someone into providing sensitive information. Email and text messages are a common resource used for phishing attacks. Bad actors may pretend to be trustworthy sources in order to get someone's password, credit card number or other data.

DDoS attacks aim to take entire websites and services offline. They use swarms of bots to inundate a server, making the target inaccessible to genuine customers or users. For instance, an attacker may go after a major financial services company, rendering its website entirely inaccessible to customers and employees.

Social engineering attacks use psychological tricks to gain access to private information. They often take the form of emails or phone calls that create a sense of urgency or fear in victims, causing them to take actions they might not otherwise partake in, such as sharing passwords or banking information.

Sometimes, cyberattacks go unnoticed for periods of time. An undetected attack, known as a zero-day vulnerability, gives hackers unfettered access to systems until organizations identify it and introduce a fix.

Impact on National Security

Countries targeted by cyber warfare face ongoing threats to critical infrastructure and public services. Understandably, this can create discontent and worry among civilians. Successful attacks may cut electricity and water services, disable banking and payment systems and much more. Even smaller-scale intrusions can disrupt everyday activities.

On the political front, victimized countries may fight back using their own cyber warfare campaigns. As nation-backed cyber attacks escalate, so does the risk of military action.

International Laws and Norms

International humanitarian law is the primary framework governing cyber warfare in armed conflicts.² While it doesn't explicitly prohibit cyber attacks, it limits actions against civilians. It also stresses that cyberattacks used during an armed conflict should only seek to achieve a military objective and that state actors take appropriate action to minimize damage.

Countries differ in their approach to international cyber attacks. For example, some states disagree on whether civilian data should receive the same protections as an actual civilian person. Additionally, there is dissent over whether international humanitarian law applies when nations aren't involved in an armed conflict.³

Strategies for Defense

Governments and private corporations can't prevent cyberattacks from occurring, but they can defend against them by creating and enforcing cybersecurity policies that follow regulatory compliance. Implementing a robust network security system and consistently monitoring it for threats is a solid first step. Organizations can further mitigate risks by controlling who has access to critical data. Educating employees about common tactics hackers use may lessen the likelihood they'll fall for social engineering attacks used to gain access to their data.

Sharing intelligence on cyber warfare tactics and attacks is also recommended by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.⁴ Greater collaboration can help other countries shore up their cyber defenses to prevent similar attacks on their infrastructure.

Case Studies in Cyber Warfare

There are numerous examples of cyber warfare incidents in recent years. In January 2025, a pro-Russian group attacked Italian government websites and transportation platforms after the country's prime minister expressed support for Ukraine.⁵ In November 2024, the Chinese hacking group known as Salt Typhoon breached eight U.S. telecoms and countless other providers in different countries.⁶ These are just two examples of notable recent cyber warfare incidents. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) maintains a lengthy timeline of similar actions all the way back to 2006.⁶

With so many everyday activities conducted online, there's a very real risk of future cyber warfare. Ongoing global conflicts only increase the threat.

Stand Guard Against Cyber Warfare Threats as a Cybersecurity Analyst

Cyber warfare can take a tremendous toll on countries and organizations. Attacks may target public services and utilities, taking them offline and causing disarray among the general population. In addition, they can have financial and political repercussions for target entities.

The U.S. government and corporate organizations need qualified cybersecurity professionals to protect digital infrastructure. By earning an online Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the Katz School of Science and Health, you can gain fundamental technical skills appropriate for cybersecurity roles in public and private industry.

As a student, you'll participate in hyper-realistic threat simulations and learn how to defend against attacks. Our cybersecurity professors have extensive experience in financial services, government intelligence agencies and cloud service providers. With the flexible online format, you can attend classes and complete coursework online with no in-person attendance requirements.

To explore how our program can prepare you for a rewarding career in cybersecurity, schedule an appointment with an admissions outreach advisor, learn about the admissions process or start your application.