Volume 18, No. 6, 2021
Evaluating the Nature of Cyber Warfare between Pakistan and India
Summar Iqbal Babar , Muhammad Nadeem Mirza , Irfan Hasnain Qaisrani
Abstract
Cyber security threats are one of the primary factors revolving around modern states' national security in the twenty-first century. Cyberspace and digital networks have drastically revolutionized modern security landscape as well as threat spectrum. The growing reliance on information and communication technologies have developed digital frontier as new domain in warfare and critical national security concern. Given the nuclear deterrent as balancing act for strategic stability in south Asian region, cybersecurity has become more prudent threat, militarized the cyber space with proliferating cyber-arms culture. India’s aspirations to modernize her military through equipping with cutting-edge disruptive technologies for an operational imperative has posed serious threat to Pakistan. With varying forms of targeted financial losses, hacking of state’s classified data, malfunctioning of state infrastructures of critical value, phishing and ransomware are evolving potential threats in cyber domain, endangering fiscal economy as well national security of Pakistan. India is rapidly developing its offensive cyber capabilities by enhancing its cooperation with Israel and the US in this realm. Both the United States and Israel have advanced cyber capabilities. The growing Indian capabilities will thus pose a serious challenge to Pakistan in the cyber realm. This study explores on evolving cyber warfare, enhancing strategic vulnerabilities through integrating cyber-arms between Pakistan and India. It further aims in assessing Pakistan’s relative capabilities to match India’s fast-paced digitisation, cyber-arming, and retaliatory muscles.
Pages: 6973-6985
Keywords: Cyber Warfare, Cybersecurity, Cyber-Nuclear Security, Digitisation, India, Pakistan.