Critical Infrastructure, Industrial Control Systems and Cyber Warfare: Ethical and Anticipated Ethical Issues

Abstract

Cyber-attacks on Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems within nation states are very dangerous. They can damage the services and systems that a country needs to maintain safety and stability. There are reasons why these attacks are so problematic. First, Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems are very important. They regulate the operation of services that are vital to the public such as power grids, water services, roads, hospitals, and banks. Industrial Control Systems also control how things are made in industries like energy and manufacturing. Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems play a role in keeping a country running. When these systems are disrupted, the economic paralysis, civilian risks, and military vulnerabilities are very similar to what happens in a war. The effects of the disruption of Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems have large consequences. The way these attacks occur shows that they can cause a lot of problems and help aggressors achieve their goals. These attacks are analogous to bombings. Instead of using physical weapons, belligerents use computers. Because these attacks on infrastructure systems like power and water can cause real physical damage, stop production, or make water undrinkable, they fail to differentiate between military targets and civilians. The economic paralysis, civilian risks, and military vulnerabilities caused by these attacks on Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems are a problem. These attacks are like acts of war. We are going to examine IC and ICS attacks from two sides, the technical side and the ethical side. We will use examples like Stuxnet, the Ukraine Power Grid compromises the Colonial Pipeline ransomware event, Triton/Trisis safety breaches the Oldsmar water facility incursion, and the JBS meat processing interference. These examples will show what aggressors are trying to accomplish by attacking industrial control systems, how the attacks affect ICS, and how large these operations are, that that these cyber-attacks are really like warfare against the nation states where industrial control systems are located. The attacks upon Industrial control systems are like acts of war. Moreover, this discussion will explore both the ethical dilemmas and anticipated ethical issues with cyber-attacks on CI and ICS. Furthermore, it addresses the morality of categorizing these cyber-attacks as cyber warfare. As a result, examining these cases will help clarify the greater implications of cyber-attacks on nation state CI and ICS systems for national and global security as well as the ethical frameworks governing cyber engagements.