Is it true that everything relies on the internet these days? From CIA communications to the control of the us electrical grid, it seems that the us has become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure. This has left it vulnerable to attacks like the SolarWinds hack, which was described as the worst cyber espionage incident ever suffered by the us. But is it true that the us is already losing the war? I don’t know, nor do I think anyone else does, given the classified nature of these operations. What I do know is that the us lacks the diversity and legal framework to effectively counter China’s cyber warfare capabilities.

The us has a major problem in the cyber industry, in that most people who enter the field are more interested in the exciting work of hacking into foreign systems, rather than the grueling task of monitoring and securing networks. This creates a significant shortage of defense professionals, leaving the us struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of cyber attacks. Furthermore, China’s ability to blend in with its diverse population and its greater control over information flow allows it to launch attacks with ease. The reality is that the majority of hacks are not carried out through the sophisticated schemes often depicted in movies, but rather through social engineering, zero-day attacks, and simple human deception.

The us has a significant advantage in its ability to conduct precise and targeted offensive cyber operations, as demonstrated by the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations program, which has developed templates to hack into nearly every commonly used piece of hardware and software. However, China’s advancements are still behind those of the us, and it has focused on stealing data from us government officials and defense contractors to gain an advantage. The us, on the other hand, has the luxury of being able to focus on developing countermeasures, rather than trying to save money on research and development costs.

In the event of a cyber war, the consequences could be catastrophic, with the potential to knock out critical infrastructure like power and water supply for extended periods, causing widespread disruption to daily life. I hope it never comes to a real cyber war, but it’s essential to understand the scale of the challenge we face in the digital age.