One of the most common myths in cybersecurity is that destructive hacking is a wildly overblown threat, or nearly impossible, or incapable of shaping geopolitical conflicts. Cyber-engagements between nations are daily competitions in which the United States, Russia, China and others continually struggle for advantage. Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the United States can compel cooperation on national security matters from telecommunications companies that operate within its borders. China and Russia also use their sovereignty to study and block Internet traffic as it enters and exits their countries. In nearly every major depiction of an imagined cyberwar, the purpose of the attacks is obvious and usually involves cowing the United States into concessions.

Source: Washington Post February 20, 2020 16:52 UTC