Aspects of Threats Faced by Nation States

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Aspects of Threats Faced by Nation States

Predictability

One of the aspects that has continued to change and will change even more in common times is the degree of predictability that threats have. There has been an increase in the number of attacks and natural calamities that occur randomly and without any pattern. Extreme weather events are a major threat to energy, transport, and other infrastructures[1]. The degree of predictability of these events has been reduced due to climate change, and the actual events have become more common across different countries. Attacks by state actors on cyber systems are also less predictable and vary from denial-of-service attacks to silent espionage activities.

Magnitude of Risk

Due to the increased use of computers in society, the number of tasks and communications done using computer systems has increased considerably. The impact of that has been an increase in the computer systems exposed to the risk of hacking and the damage that an adversary could do if they accessed these computer systems. The potential for large damage through one attack has increased considerably, increasing the risks nation-states face. An example of this can be seen in the recent attacks on the United States in the form of the Solar Winds Hark and Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, which had a major impact on the country.

Interconnectedness

Lastly, the interconnected nature of the world in today’s society has made the threats faced by countries considerably more interconnected. Globalization in the last three decades has changed how businesses and people are connected. There is considerably more cross-border trade and movement of people now than at any other time in the past. That has also led to the evolution of how threats faced by one country can quickly become a threat impacting many [2]. That aspect has already been seen in issues concerning terrorism and the recent spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Predicting threats and developing coping mechanisms must consider the world’s interconnectedness and thus require increased cooperation for effective solutions.

Bibliography

Alshamrani, Adel, Sowmya Myneni, Ankur Chowdhary, and Dijiang Huang. “A Survey on Advanced Persistent Threats: Techniques, Solutions, Challenges, and Research Opportunities.”IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials 21, no. 2 (January 1, 2019): 1851–77. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2019.2891891.

Mara, Daniel, Silviu Nate, Andriy Stavytskyy, and GannaKharlamova. “The Place of Energy Security in the National Security Framework: An Assessment Approach.”Energies 15, no. 2 (January 17, 2022): 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15020658.

[1]Mara, Daniel, Silviu Nate, Andriy Stavytskyy, and Ganna Kharlamova. “The Place of Energy Security in the National Security Framework: An Assessment Approach.” Energies 15, no. 2 (January 17, 2022): 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15020658.

[2]Alshamrani, Adel, Sowmya Myneni, Ankur Chowdhary, and Dijiang Huang. “A Survey on Advanced Persistent Threats: Techniques, Solutions, Challenges, and Research Opportunities.” IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials 21, no. 2 (January 1, 2019): 1851–77. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2019.2891891.