Introduction : war games redux? -- The nature of the challenge -- What exactly do we mean by cyber? -- How and why are nuclear systems vulnerable or at risk? -- What might hackers do to nuclear systems? -- Stealing nuclear secrets -- Could cyber-attacks lead to nuclear use or stop nuclear systems from working? -- The cyber-nuclear nexus at the strategic level -- Nuclear weapons, attribution and cyber deterrence -- Nuclear stability, crisis management, and a cyber-nuclear security dilemma -- Challenges for our cyber-nuclear future -- Nuclear weapons modernisation and the future computerised global nuclear environment -- Conclusion : managing our cyber-nuclear future.
Summary:
Are nuclear arsenals safe from cyber attack? We may be standing at the edge of a major technological challenge to global nuclear order. The increasing sophistication of hacking and cyber weapons, information warfare capabilities, and other dynamics of the cyber age are challenging the management, safeguards, and warning systems for nuclear weapons. Every nuclear power is currently modernizing its nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) capabilities, but there is a danger that in upgrading computer systems and making NC3 more networked, states may inadvertently also make their nuclear arsenals more vulnerable to breaches, interference, or even unintended use. In addition to implications for NC3, this new age also affects nuclear strategy, escalation dynamics in crisis management, and the ability to safeguard nuclear secrets. Andrew Futter cuts through the hype surrounding these challenges and provides a framework through which to understand and proactively address the implications of this emerging cyber-nuclear nexus.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.