Fog in the Fifth Dimension: The Ethics of Cyber-War

Abstract

Cyber-warfare is a cutting-edge topic in armed conflict. It can be defined, at least initially, as attempting to use the Internet, and related advanced computer technologies, to substantially harm the fundamental interests of a political community. And cyber-space has been referred to as “the fifth dimension of warfare,” after: land; water; air; and space. Yet, much confusion (or “fog”) surrounds cyber-warfare, both regarding its present realities and its future potential. How much damage can cyber-attacks actually do? Is it even appropriate to liken computer-based cyber-attacks to physical (“kinetic”) violence? Is “informational warfare”, as cyber-war is otherwise known, changing the very nature of political conflict in our time (indeed, for all time)? This chapter aspires to clear up some—but certainly not all—of this fog which surrounds the fifth dimension. It will do so by means of critically examining three important distinctions in this regard. But first, some workable definitions are required.