Cyberwar, Netwar and the Revolution in Military Affairs

Over the last two decades a very rapid evolution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has taken place, together with a wide proliferation of information systems. The rapid expansion and integration of telecommunications technologies, computer systems and information processes has deepened and broadened the Information Infrastructure (II) at every level of society and, in particular, in the western industrialised countries; citizens, economic activities and state organisations rely more and more on Information Technologies (IT). This evolution process has many positive aspects. However, it should also be analysed from the point of view of an increasing dependence on the new networked global information infrastructure currently under construction and, as a consequence, also in terms of vulnerability and possible security implications.