Protecting Critical Assets and Infrastructure from Cyber Attacks

The impact of computer and communications systems in recent decades has not bypassed the national security of states in general, and the State of Israel in particular. Most systems in developed societies rely on computer and information infrastructures, and this growing dependence on information and communication technologies means that a blow to computers and information ow processes is liable to disrupt, paralyze, and sometimes even cause substantive physical damage to essential systems. Computer-based capabilities and their near-global ubiquity expose states to harm in cyberspace by various elements, including hostile countries, terrorist organizations, criminal elements, and even individuals driven by personal challenges or anarchist motives. The threat is particularly acute as management, control, and monitoring systems can be disrupted through changes to a computer program, and no physical attack is needed. Thus, it stands to reason that the face of future con icts will be transformed beyond recognition.