

Can a cyber-attack really be considered an 'act of war'? - Garbage
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/can-a-cyber-attack-really-be-considered-an-act-of-war/10370

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noonespecial
An act of war would probably be anything done by a foreign nation intended to
cause loss of life or a great deal of damage to physical property. Going ga-ga
over the "cyber" part is as stupid as it is distracting. If warships sailed
into NY harbor and opened up, no one would go "gah! a _boat_ attack!"

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nodata
I think the reasons for the fuss are:

i) that it being "cyber" makes it easier for false-flag attacks.

ii) cyber attacks are cheaper and easier.

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atlantic
The focus should be on the effects, not on the medium. A concerted attack that
targets infrastructure, for example a nuclear power station or the national
power grid, should be considered an act of war. But an attack against email
accounts will generally fall under the category of espionage. To call theft of
information an act of war would seem to be yet another excuse to go out
starting new wars.

