Page 515 - Essencials of Sociology

488 CHAPTER 15 Social Change and the Environment

taking refuge in their nests. If an enemy were to
disrupt vital communications, they could trans-
form computer screens into windows of darkness.
Or they could fill military files with false informa-
tion. Easy attack could follow. This fear pervades
the military—on both sides, wherever those fluid
sides line up today.
This is not some far-off future. As the Ira-
nians discovered, cyber war has begun. The
United States, too, is a victim, with thousands
of attacks launched against its military comput-
ers. The attacker? Just round up the usual sus-
pect, China (Mozur 2013). The purpose of the
attacks seems to be to find chinks in the armor,
the spots where malicious code can be installed
unawares—like Stuxnet to be unleashed at some
designated moment. The targets extend beyond
the military: a nation’s electrical grid, its banking
system, stock exchange, oil and gas pipelines, air
traffic control system, and Internet and cell phone
This military command post is in communications.
South Korea, with both U.S. and
South Korean personnel. South The United States is spending billions of dollars preparing for cyber war. The U.S. Air
Korea and North Korea accuse one Force runs an Office for Cyberspace Operations, while the Navy operates an aptly named
another of attacking the other’s Center for Information Dominance. An overarching group, the U.S. Cyber Command,
communication systems. Each has the assignment to integrate the cyber warfare capacities of the military with those of
accusation is likely true.
the National Security Agency (Barnes 2012; Sanger and Shanker 2013).
China has attempted to turn the tables, accusing the United States of tens of thou-
sands of cyber attacks against its military Web sites (Mozur 2013). It is likely that this
accusation is correct. Like China, the United States is breaking into the computers of
other nations with the goal of “destroying, disrupting, degrading, deceiving, and cor-
rupting” the ability of potential enemies (Gjelten 2013).
The games have begun. The outcome, unfortunately, might not resemble a game.
The offspring of the microchip—
from computers to cell phones— For Your Consideration
offer access to vast information ↑
and efficiency of communication, Do you think the United States should insert dormant malicious codes in Russia’s and
manufacturing, and transportation. China’s military and central civilian computers—so it can unleash them during some future
Will this fundamental change bring conflict? If such a code were discovered, what do you think the consequences might be? ■
greater equality to the world’s
nations? This photo was taken in
Cambodia.
At this point, the skirmishes are digital and
bloodless, but this can change in a moment.
In the Sociology and the New Technology
box on the next page, we will look at how
the microchip is bringing space weapons, des-
tined as an essential pat of future war.
Cyberspace and Social
Inequality

We’ve already stepped into the future. The
Net gives us access to digitized libraries. We
utilize software that sifts, sorts, and transmits
text, photos, sound, and video. We zap mes-
sages, images, and digital money to people
on the other side of the globe—or even in