How the Cyber-Attacks Within US and China May Lead to an Accidental Nuclear Strike
What has just happened?
After the escalation of tariffs between the US and China in the form of a trade war, there is a growing risk of the United States of America and China exchanging nuclear forces. This is due to the misconception that any suspicious cyber-attack could be a possible beginning of a nuclear strike. [1]
What does this mean?
The increasing rate of cyber threats may compromise nuclear command and control systems. However, it is also important to focus on the motivations behind the cyber-attack. These motivations include; hacking and launching weapons to cause mass destruction or self-protection by disabling orders or launches. [2]
Attacks like this jeopardize the faith that U.S or Chinese officials have in the nuclear system’s security.[3] Both countries must now focus on keeping their nuclear data from hacking and nuclear espionage as in 1991, a group of Dutch hackers broke into the US military networks hoping to merchandize and penetrate missile data and nuclear secrets for the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. Attacks like this continued with the anonymous hacks; IAEA and Zeus Trojan.
These increased attacks increase the possibility of attacks during the time of coronavirus.[4]
What does this mean for the legal sector?
As the UN prohibits the use of military forces against states, unless, in the cases of self-defense. The US and China use legal and adversarial trade strategies such as violating sanctions and restrictions at the expense of fines to circumnavigate the prohibition. [5]
In a Baker McKenzie poll earlier this year, 86% of the 600 global companies that were surveyed voted on considering supply chain changes due to the US-China trade war. China publicized retaliatory tariffs on $75bn worth of US goods.[6] This impacted customs and regulations. [7]
The shifting production, testing, and certifying new suppliers demands restricting and regulatory lawyers. U.S. financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock are making an appearance in China's newly open economic sectors by delisting 500 Hong Kong products.[8]
Global trade attorneys say this is good for corporate lawyers in the short-term perspective, but not long-term. To reduce accidental nuclear war following the trade war, China and the US must seek to solidify international relationships rather than weaken them by having conversations regarding cybersecurity. This can include employing a particular “red team” to assess the risks of sensitive cyber operations and evaluate the outcome. Red teaming must contemplate the likelihood and consequences that cyber weapons may spread more than envisioned and could be reverse-engineered for use against one’s government, businesses, or friends. [9]
Cyber threats and attacks between the cybersecurity of the US and China currently have an impact on the trade war. Both of these countries must partake in a more non-violent way to communicate and focus on international cyber threats as they are more damaging to society and the economy and avoid cyber wars that can be resolved through a conversation.
By Harshitha Bandarupalli
Assessing firms
#Goldman Sachs #Morgan Stanley #BlackRock
References:
[1] Perkovich G and Levite A, “How Cyber Ops Increase the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War” (Defense OneApril 21, 2021) <https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/how-cyber-ops-increase-risk-accidental-nuclear-war/173523/> accessed April 28, 2021
[2] Nystuen G and Egeland K, “A ‘Legal Gap’? Nuclear Weapons under International Law | Arms Control Association” (Armscontrol.org2016) https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_03/Features/A-Legal-Gap-Nuclear-Weapons-Under-International-Law
[3] Perkovich G and Levite A, “How Cyber Ops Increase the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War” (Defense OneApril 21, 2021) <https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/how-cyber-ops-increase-risk-accidental-nuclear-war/173523/> accessed April 28, 2021
[4] Futter A, “Cyber Threats and Nuclear Weapons New Questions for Command and Control, Security and Strategy” (2016) https://rusi.org/sites/default/files/cyber_threats_and_nuclear_combined.1.pdf
[5] Huyue Zhang A, “The Dangerous Legal War Posing a New Threat to China-US Relations” (Nikkei Asia February 1, 2021) <https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/The-dangerous-legal-war-posing-a-new-threat-to-China-US-relations> accessed April 28, 2021
[6] www.438marketing.com 438-, “What’s Going on with the US-China Trade War?” (The Corporate Law Academy) https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/advice/whats-going-on-with-the-us-china-trade-war/
[7] www.438marketing.com 438-, “What’s Going on with the US-China Trade War?” (The Corporate Law Academy) https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/advice/whats-going-on-with-the-us-china-trade-war/
[8] Abdulla S, “Wall Street Investment Banks to Delist Hong-Kong Products Following US Ban” (UK.news.yahoo.comJanuary 10, 2021) <https://uk.news.yahoo.com/investment-banks-morgan-stanley-goldman-sachs-jp-morgan-us-china-trade-war-180029517.html> accessed April 28, 2021
[9] Perkovich G and Levite A, “How Cyber Ops Increase the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War” (Defense OneApril 21, 2021) <https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/04/how-cyber-ops-increase-risk-accidental-nuclear-war/173523/> accessed April 28, 2021