As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates, relations between Iran and Israel have become even more strained. The Iranian-backed Hamas and Houthis put tremendous pressure on Israel, and Israel, not to be outdone, began to use different tactics against Iran. There have been reports that about 70% of gas stations in Iran have recently suffered cyberattacks, and a company called"Prey on sparrows"of network organizations have declared responsibility. Although the Israeli side declined to comment, it is possible that the manipulative forces behind it are related to Israel. The choice of a cyber attack on a gas station would have a huge impact on Iran, causing not only internal chaos, but also relatively speaking"Controllable"。This conflict has also sounded the alarm bell for China, not only reinforcing the importance of cyber protection, but also revealing the blind spots in the security of people's livelihood equipment, and the need to be vigilant against cyber attacks.
The Iran-Israel conflict demonstrates the tensions between the two countries, with Iranian-backed Hamas and Houthis posing a major threat to Israel. Not to be outdone, however, Israel has taken unusual measures to meet the Iranian challenge. Recently, about 70% of gas stations in Iran have suffered cyberattacks, which has huge implications for Iran. Allegedly, a family called"Prey on sparrows"of cyber groups claimed responsibility for the attack, and while Israel declined to comment, it is possible that the forces behind it were linked to Israel. This time, Israel chose to carry out a cyber attack on a gas station, and it has a unique strategic thinking. Gas stations are one of Iran's largest social welfare programs, so attacking them can both cause internal chaos and maintain some control. This move by Israel can be said to be a wise choice.
The conflict also has lessons for China. In recent years, countries and regions have been subjected to an increasing number of cyberattacks, and China is no exception. In July this year alone, China's Wuhan** monitoring center suffered a cyber attack. In addition, some important institutions in our country have also become targets of cyber attacks, such as the Western Institute of Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology in 2022, which were also attacked by American hacker groups. These cyber attacks have posed a threat to our country, especially those institutions that have a large amount of strategic information in stock. The threat of cyber warfare is equally great compared to the rumor-to-rum war. Cyber warfare is not geographically restricted, the cost is low, and at the same time, it is more difficult to detect and collect evidence, and the scope of attack can be large or small. Iran's cyber warfare can be said to have become the mainstream of the world, and the United States is even more notorious in this field. As early as 2009, the United States set up a cyber warfare unit, which has so far developed more than 2,000 computer viruses and carried out a large number of attacks and surveillance activities. The control of the global Internet seems to be somewhat skewed in favor of the United States, which has caused global alarm.
Although cyber warfare is inconspicuous, the harm it causes is no less than that of the transmission of disputes. Compared with the transmission competition, cyber warfare has unique advantages. First, cyber warfare is not geographically restricted and can be attacked anytime and anywhere, which makes it more difficult to defend against. Second, cyber warfare is relatively low, and compared with traditional military operations, which require a large amount of military force and resources, cyber warfare only requires a few elite talents and a computer to launch an attack. In addition, cyber warfare is difficult to detect in advance and difficult to collect evidence after the fact, which causes great trouble for defenders. On top of that, cyber attacks can range from large to small, ranging from personal computers, corporate servers, to even critical national facilities such as power systems, transportation systems, and more.
China must take steps to strengthen cyber protection against the threat of cyber warfare. First, strengthen the research and development and application of network security technology. China should increase R&D and innovation in network security technology and improve its own network security level. Second, strengthen the cultivation of network security talents. At present, there is a shortage of network security talents in China, and it is necessary to increase the training and introduction of network security talents to improve the overall quality of network security in China. At the same time, we will strengthen international cooperation to jointly respond to cyber threats. Cyber warfare is transnational in nature, and no country can deal with it alone, and cyber security protection must be strengthened through international cooperation.
However, it is not enough to rely on technical means alone, and it is also crucial to strengthen the construction of laws and regulations. China needs to formulate relevant cybersecurity laws and regulations, improve the cyber justice system, and strengthen the crackdown on cybercrimes. At the same time, strengthen the public's cyber security education, improve the public's awareness of cyber security, and avoid becoming a victim of cyber attacks. Only when technical means and laws and regulations are used in tandem can China better cope with the challenges of cyber warfare.
The conflict between Iran and Israel is a wake-up call for China and the importance of strengthening cyber protection. Although cyber warfare is inconspicuous, it is extremely harmful and a threat to the world. We must fully understand the harm of cyber warfare, strengthen the research and development and application of cyber security technology, cultivate cyber security talents, strengthen international cooperation, improve the construction of laws and regulations, strengthen cyber security education, and raise the public's awareness of cyber security. Only by comprehensively using various means can we better cope with the challenges of cyber warfare and ensure China's network security. Cyber warfare has become the form of warfare in the new era, and we must be prepared to meet the challenges of the future.