ABSTRACT
Cyber war is a real and pressing global threat. Just as the activity of commerce, communications, and industry has gone online, so have military and security operations. As an international concern, militaries, countries, and the private sector should be invested in combating and protecting against this technological threat. Cyberspace presents and acts as the conduit for myriad threats, perhaps war, and possibly as a tactic in a larger, real-world conflict. Cyber-espionage, basically spying via a variety of means, is also a threat and can be sponsored by a government but may also be carried out by a loose group of hackers looking to sell passwords or bank accounts. In a May 2009 speech, US President Barack Obama said, "This cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges people face as a nation", while also framing the protection of the US digital infrastructure as a "national security priority".
