Cyberwarfare seen through a mariner´s spyglass

The Internet has become an essential tool in the everyday conduct of commercial life and its security has become a topic of growing importance since 9/11. The ability of terrorists to conduct cyberwarfare is largely unknown, but the potential for the disruption of life worries many policymakers. In searching for precedent to anticipate the potential impact of a cyberwar, it is important to identify modes of conflict that are useful against asymmetrically matched opponents and conflict that strikes at the economy. The author suggests that an effective model for looking at cyberwarfare is that of maritime "guerre de course" or commerce warfare. Moreover, the maritime paradigm provides a useful dialog with which to examine possible future trends in cyberwarfare beyond effects including the impact of technological innovation, sociological and historical trends, and tactics.