Modern Cyber warfare between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States (2010-20)

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis

Authors

1 Department of Political Science and International Relations, Islamic Azad university, south Tehran branch. Tehran. Iran

2 Department of Political Science and International Relations. south Tehran branch.Islamic Azad university. Tehran. Iran

Abstract

The Internet and social media have altered the nature of communication between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US, introducing new modes of action and reaction in their conflict. This study aims to find an answer to this question: What new strategies do Iran and the United States use to confront one another in cyberspace? To answer this question, we used a descriptive-analytical method to test the hypothesis and collected our data through a desk research and note-taking method, and then analyzed statements from the theory of authoritarian power. The findings revealed that the US and Iran disagreement about regional issues, the unresolved political conflicts between the two countries, the escalation of international sanctions against Iran, and, most significantly, the US withdrawal from BARJAM (Iran nuclear deal) and assassination of the commander of IRGC- Quds has increased the prominence of cyberspace as a stage for hostility between the two states. As a result, the US and Iran have used the potential of cyberspace as a tool to exert power and have tried to impose their demands, based on their level of competence and expertise in the field of cyber technologies, and through the use of a variety of tactics. Their goal in taking such actions is clearly to force each other to accept their will or change their behavior and ideologies.

Highlights

Introduction

In today’s world, the Internet and cyberspace have changed the way governments, people, and non-governmental groups such as organizations, enterprises, or even terrorists interact. As a result, new methods of interaction, as well as new forms of conflict, have developed. On the one hand, this technology has significantly facilitated and expanded access to information and knowledge on a national and worldwide scale; on the other hand, it has generated entities devoid of physical qualities and natural limits, resulting in an environment packed with anonymous users. It also has created an atmosphere in which authority is dispersed, has created an environment devoid of moral standards and values, and, most significantly, has had a profound effect on its audience. As a result, cyberspace has undermined not only states' national sovereignty in dealing with risks and threats but also considerably enhanced the efficacy of these threats. As the infrastructures in today’s world are highly dependent on software and communication technologies and because these technologies control the management, planning, and service infrastructure of governments and citizens, they have developed into hostile political tools by which the rivals try to subvert the other side's independence, enforce their demands and impose dominance.

Cyberspace expansion has changed several security concepts, including conflict, defense, and deterrence, and has produced new security implications for nations whose national security is based on cybersecurity. Thus, many observers of international relations see cyber warfare as the fifth battlefield, alongside naval, land, air, and space warfare, and believe that this modern battlefield threatens governments' political authority or even their international existence. This is particularly true in countries whose businesses, critical infrastructures, economy, and security are highly dependent on the Internet or cyberspace networks. As network-based technologies evolve, guaranteeing government cyber security of critical infrastructure has gained more importance. Regarding this, the kind of communication tools utilized by users and their degree of proficiency in employing them impact the pattern and intensity of interaction between cyberspace operators.

Over the last two decades, the Internet and cyberspace have developed into a borderless battlefield between Iran and the United States of America due to the development of new information and communication technology. This dispute has deteriorated to the point that it has altered the nature of relationships between the two states, particularly in the aftermath of the US cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2009, and has influenced both countries' practical and theoretical cyberspace policies.

Methodology

A comprehensive and accurate understanding of Iran's and the US's new cyberspace tactics demands acquiring adequate information and conducting constant and precise assessments of their cyber capabilities. Therefore, we attempted to address the following question: What new strategies do Iran and the United States use to confront one another in cyberspace? To answer this question, we used a descriptive-analytical method to test the hypothesis and collected our data through a desk research and note-taking method, and then analyzed statements from the theory of authoritarian power.

Results and Discussion

US cyber-activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran started in 2006 under the guise of the Olympic Games and were directed by George W. Bush. They grew in intensity throughout the administrations of Barack Obama and following presidents. The United States has frequently targeted critical network infrastructure with its capabilities and skills in the field of new cyber technologies, as well as with the latest and most contemporary destructive tools in this sector - such as Stuxnet malware, Film, Doqu, and others. Iran's Islamic Republic has been the victim of damaging cyber assaults, which have caused significant damage. By contrast, the Islamic Republic of Iran's approach in the realm of cyberspace during the previous two decades might be seen as punitive reactions to geopolitical tensions at the regional or worldwide level caused by the US and its allies. Iran has established a robust structure for the employment of aggressive cyberspace actions, which are mostly a reaction to geopolitical events. In other words, Iran's cyber strategy against the US is linked to its geopolitical goals, and the government has built its cyber strategy around these interests. While Iran is not now regarded as one of the world's leading cyber superpowers, it is a significant actor that has improved its cyber position in terms of complexity, variety, and power while increasing its activities in cyberspace. Indeed, it has used cyber-retaliation to keep the US outside its physical and ideological borders. These measures may raise awareness among the US and its allies about the vulnerability of their crucial security and cyberinfrastructure systems. It implies that if these states target Iran's critical infrastructure, Iran may react by attacking their key infrastructure and threatening them with widespread, severe, and destructive assaults.

Conclusion

The findings of this study indicate that, as a result of the divergent approaches of the US and Iran to regional issues, the unresolved issues between them, the escalation of international sanctions against Iran, and, most significantly, the US withdrawal from BARJAM (Iran nuclear deal) and the assassination of Iran's Quds Force commander, cyberspace is increasingly becoming a battleground between the two countries. Accordingly, given their competence and capacities in the sphere of cyber technologies, each of these two states has resorted to modern methods to impose their demands on the other and even compel one another to modify their stance or accept their requests. For instance, they have resorted to hacking, cyber espionage, and cyber sabotage, using tools such as malware, viruses, and destructive code to leverage their cyber dominance to exert power on each other.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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International Studies Journal (ISJ)
Volume 18, Issue 3 - Serial Number 71
January 2021
Pages 187-206

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