4. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONFLICTS HISTORY WAS STUXNET AN ACT OF WAR? JÂNIS JANSONS ABSTRACT DOI: 10.26410/SF 1/17/11 Modern societies live in the complex and fragile infor­ mation environment, in which data processing and ex­ change grow exponentially. Different digital computer­ ized systems support most of key infrastructures like financial systems, power and water supplies, air traffic management, public and military communications. To increase accessibility to those systems in the informa­ tion domain, it requires interoperability and interconnec­ tivity which makes them complex to maintain and vulner­ able to cyber-attacks/intrusions. The Internet is an own­ erless, ubiquitous and open to all information exchange domains which can shape the international relations through the cyber domain and there is no international entity that can control and affect the data flow. Each country has its own legislation to react and influence local users through Internet service providers and only close cooperation among the states can help to identify and prevent illegal activities against other states as well as support foreign countries during investigations. The JANIS JANSONS1 paper will uncover how cyber weapon was used to in­ [email protected] fluence state struggling, becoming a nuclear power for the first time. It is divided into two parts to explain the Baltic Defence College, essence of the act of war and cyberspace to understand Tartu. Estonia the environment where Stuxnet was applied. Next it will focus on impact and reaction of Stuxnet in order to ana­ Opinions expressed by the authoi lyse its utilization within cyberspace. are his own views and they do no1 reflect in any way the official policy or position of the Baltic Defence KEY WORDS College, or the governments of Cybersecurity, Internet, Stuxnet, act of war. Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. Introduction Modern society lives in the complex and accessibility to those systems in the infor­ fragile information environment in which mation domain, it requires interoperability data processing and exchange grow ex­ and interconnectivity which makes them ponentially. Different digital computerized complex to maintain and vulnerable to cy­ systems support most of key infrastruc­ ber attacks/intrusions. Furthermore, this tures like financial systems, power and wa­ new reality of information exchange shows ter supplies, air traffic management, public that societies highly depend on information and military communications. To increase and communication technologies, which oftj 4.2. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONFLICTS HISTORY are interconnected in one global network action with possible future consequences. named the Internet. This addiction to the In­ To argue this statement, this paper is di­ ternet is a major source of vulnerability and vided into two parts, where the first part will full control over the information domain in explain the essence of two terms - an act of these conditions is almost impossible. So, war and cyberspace to understand the en­ somebody could use those vulnerabilities vironment where Stuxnet was applied. The to breach national security and influence second part will focus more on an impact an economic, political and social situation and reaction of Stuxnet in order to deter­ in other countries. mine it. The Internet is an ownerless, ubiquitous and open to all information exchange do­ An act of war and mains, which can shape the international cyberspace relations through the cyber field. The Inter­ The phrase 'Act of war' is characterised net is a computer network that uses stand­ as a political term rather than a military or ardized protocols to interconnect states, legal one (Nakashima E., 2012). This term organizations and individuals worldwide. is used in an international environment Neither states nor organizations, nor sin­ by politicians in situations where it was gle persons are the owners of the Internet. a violent and non-violent act. Terrorist at­ While there is one non-profit organization tacks (Cella M., 2015), key leader killings which simply manages Internet protocol (Strange H., 2013), shooting down airplane numbers and the Domain Name System during peace time (Vinogradov D., 2015), root, and the others provide a piece of in­ the blockade of sea lines of communication frastructure just to be part of the Internet. (Global Research, 2015), imposing eco­ There is no international entity that can con­ nomic sanctions (Saundersaug P.J., 2014), trol and affect the data flow. Each country cyber-attack (Gorman S., and Barnes E.J., has its own legislation to react and influ­ 2011) etc., have motivated politicians to ence local users through Internet service use the phrase 'an act of war'. This term providers. Only close cooperation among does not have a standard definition world­ the states can help to identify and prevent wide and its application to cyber incidence illegal activities against other states as well seems to be questionable. However, there as support foreign countries during investi­ is a country which defines them as 'acts of gations. So, the states' political willingness war'. For example, the United States (U.S.) to cooperate in the cyberspace shapes to prevent possible cyber Pearl Harbor (Sti- dialogue internationally. However, there ennon, R., 2015) came to the conclusion are some fuzzy cases where some cyber that cyber-attacks originating from another activities originating in one state that are country can be interpreted as an 'act of war' against another state critical infrastructure to counter using all kinds of military force could be interpreted as an act of war or (Gorman S., and Barnes E.J., 2011). How­ a covert action. ever, the international law avoids the term This paper will uncover how cyber weap­ 'an act of war' in favour of other phrases on was used to influence state struggling, like 'illegal intervention', 'the use of force', becoming a nuclear power for the first 'armed attack', or 'an act of aggression'. For time. Was the use of cyber weapon an act example, an act of aggression includes of war? This paper will claim that Stuxnet more serious uses of force and armed at­ was not an act of war, but rather a covert tack, whereas all uses of force are not only 110 W A S STUXNET AN ACT OF WAR? njbj armed attacks, but could also be illegal in­ ematician and philosopher Wiener (1985) terventions (Fidler D.P, 2011). Despite those introduced the first application of cyber as definitions, legal experts Charles Dunlap, 'cybernetic - the entire field of control and a retired Air Force Major General and pro­ communication theory, whether in the ma­ fessor at Duke University law school, or chine or in the animal'. In the initial stages retired Gen. James Cartwright, former vice of technology development, the term cyber chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff argue relates originally to data processing and that only the president and Congress in intercommunication activities or it can be the U.S. could decide that the social or fi­ called the 'Wiener component' of cyber­ nancial impairment is sufficient to consider space definition. However, in later years, a cyber-attack as an act of war (Nakashima a word cyber was used so to emphasize E., 2011). So, the use of this term depends another environment in networks and com­ on the leaders of the targeted country, who puters rather than physical appearance. would decide whether or not to respond Secondly, a prefix cyber is basically ex­ with military force to cyber-attacks. As ploited as the part of a composite word, a result, the phrase 'an act of war' becomes then it is used as a single term. A com­ more political. If it is so, then what could pound word, for instance cyberspace could be the trigger for politicians in cyberspace be considered in order to obtain a meta­ to respond militarily? For this reason, it is physical or meaningful definition. Without important to understand cyberspace. knowing about computers and the Internet, Cyberspace, like the term 'act of war' a speculative fiction novelist and essayist has no single internationally recognised Gibson (1984) in his novel Neuromancer in­ definition. Cyberspace is a revolution­ troduced for first time the word cyberspace ary human-made, ubiquitous, networked, as 'a consensual hallucination' on the com­ and virtual environment which seems to puterized network. That means its appear­ be driven by swift electronic communica­ ance provides any kind of physical medium. tion and progress in information technol­ This could lead to the feeling of outside of ogy. This is a possible way of explaining physical reality, which is more related to cyberspace in own words. In spite of this 'Gibson's component' of cyberspace defi­ innovative sketch, the overall definitions nition. Seamlessly using the advantages of of cyberspace are disputable (Ottis and new technologies, human beings tend to Lorents, 2010). Therefore, trying to find believe in the existence of such an environ­ an exact, perfectly expressed definition ment. This stimulates the search for a com­ of cyberspace seems to be impossible. It prehensive and coherent definition, where is therefore more prudent to stick to one actors are the key element to interact in this definition and to analyse step-by-step what environment. these separate components are. The lack of security in cyberspace offers Firstly, it is important to examine some an opportunity for a wide range of actors historical background of wording, which like in social -physical space, where per­ could be the main milestone of further sons have various reasons and capabilities definitions. The term cyber appears to be to challenge law enforcement. Originally, the Greek word kybernetes, which means unauthorized actors in cyberspace were steersman or the governor. So, in 1948, cyber criminals, whose strong intent was to appreciate the Maxwell control loop to gain financial benefits; blackmailers, feedback mechanism, the famous math­ who used evidence to intimate key leaders, 111 oftj 4.2.