The Evolution of Cyber Warfare: A Case Study of American and Chinese Strategies in Response to Taiwanese Nationalism

Abstract

This thesis studies the evolution of American and Chinese cyber strategies to determine the sequence of events that will occur if growing tensions in Taiwan result in cyber conflict between the United States and China. These events illustrate the implications for the future of cyber warfare. First, this thesis explores varying definitions and past cyber attacks within the cyber field to examine the present advantages and deficiencies of adopting cyber strategies. Unlike past forms of warfare, cyber warfare combines a variety of unique tools to conduct cyber attacks. Then, this thesis evaluates Chinese and American cyber strategies independently to understand their current positions domestically and internationally. Subsequently, these countries are compared to one another to highlight the differences within their cyber strategies. While Chinese cyber strategy relies on extreme censorship, American cyber strategy resorts to a plethora of advanced technology. After establishing Taiwan’s current relation to China and the United States, an examination of data demonstrates that the growing nationalism in Taiwan will lead to a cyber conflict between China and the United States, in which China will prevail. This conflict highlights the importance of adopting cyber tools within military operations to prepare for the future of war. Following this discussion, this thesis analyzes Russian and Indian cyber strategies to conclude how other countries are reacting to the presence of cyber tactics and how China and the United States might withstand conflict with other nations. Given the success of cyber operations, this thesis concludes that cyber warfare has yet to reach its full potential. Therefore, the transition from traditional to cyber militaries will prompt countries to deploy cyber intelligence programs to inflict physical and virtual harm on an adversary’s infrastructure through anonymous military operations, while simultaneously endorsing cyber tactics to mitigate malicious cyber activity within their own cybersecurity networks.