In another example of how cyberwarfare is emerging as the third greatest threat to U.S. national security (behind Nuclear War and Weapons of Mass Destruction), The Wall Street Journal reported today, on its front page, that insurgents in Iraq and Afgahnistan have hacked into live video feeds of Predator Drones that provided the insurgents with information about military operations. This just goes to a long line of security incidents that has confronted many governments around the globe. Whether it’s the Republic of Georgia getting hacked prior to an invasion of Russion forces in 2008, or the Chinese allegedly hacking into the U.S. Department of Defense and obtaining files on the now defunct F-22 Joint Strike Fighter plans, the issue of cyber-security is just getting bigger and bigger. According to the WSJ, Iraqi Shiite figthers were able to use software that can be bought off the shelf for as little as $25.99, and intercept the live Predator Drone feeds. It is not very reassuring when a government spends billions of taxpayer dollars to develop military technology that can be hacked into for under $30 bucks. The reason why groups are able to do this is that the technology used to develop new innovations is commercially and readily available. However, make no mistake about it, our government does the same thing. If countries like Iran use technology products bought "out of the box" from American-backed technology companies, then the capabilities to circumvent it are also present. With this knowledge, lesser groups/governments can level the playing field when fighting wars against Superpowers, like the United States. This is the 21st Century version of Sun Tzu’s "The Art of War." Some literary works transcend generations.
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