Potential Employment of Offensive Reversible Cyberattacks For Strategic and Ethical Purposes

reportActive / Technical Report | Accesssion Number: AD1213652 | Open PDF

Abstract:

Reversible cyberattacks are similar to ransomware and can provide a new capability in cyber warfare. They can be effective strategically and often ethically superior. Providing incentives in an attack like returning a system to its prior state can encourage a country to comply with demands by the attacker. This research discusses the types of cyberattack that can be effectively reversed, addressing their structure and capacity for reversibility. Traditional cyberattacks and reversible cyberattacks are compared, considering strategic advantages and ethical obligations and when each would be superior. Other issues addressed are the effects of backup methods, the kinds of collateral damage that cannot be reversed, and the need for a second cyberattack to accomplish reversal.

Author(s):
Swiatlowski, Zoe M.
Author Organization(s):
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
Funding Organization(s):
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA, MONTEREY, CA
Document Type:
Technical Report/Master's Thesis
Publication Date:
2023 Jun 01
Pagination:
46

Security Markings

DOCUMENT & CONTEXTUAL SUMMARY

Distribution Code:
A - Approved For Public Release
Distribution Statement: Public Release.
Copyright: Not Copyrighted

RECORD

Collection: TRECMS
Subject Terms
Descriptor(s):
cyberspace operations, cyberattacks, cyber warfare, cybersecurity, computers, denial of service attack, information science, united states, patient care management, governments, information warfare, collateral damage, employment, information operations, intrusion detectors, military operations, united states government
Keyword(s):
Offensive Reversible Cyberattacks, Strategy, Ethics, cyber warfare, reversible cyberattack, moral obligation
Subject Categories:
Military Sciences; Navigation, Detection and Countermeasures; Mathematical and Computer Sciences
Modernization Areas:
Cyber
Descriptor(s):
cyberattacks, cyberspace operations, cyber warfare, cybersecurity, intrusion detectors, computers, denial of service attack, united states, intrusion detection, malware, operating systems, critical infrastructure, cryptography, cyberspace, governments, international law, intrusion detection systems
Creation Date:
2023 Oct 25
Update Date:
2023 Nov 15