Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has leaked a new set of documents. The details show how World War 3 will be fought in the cyberspace using computers rather than guns. Five Eyes, the group that includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is employing specialist surveillance officers to ready for the next generation of warfare.
‘Phase 0’ of World War 3
Five Eyes has even bugged the former International Atomic Energy Agency head Hans Blix and UN chief Kofi Annan, according to Australia’s News.com. We are not talking about a few leaked Hollywood movies or stolen files. We are talking about the complete take down of transport systems, phone networks, power grids, and everything in between.
Since 9/11 attacks, the capabilities of Five Eyes has increased dramatically. The group is spying on everyone from world leaders to Facebook accounts of students. From the eyes of security agencies, mass digital surveillance is just “Phase 0.” It includes everything from your Facebook chat to browsing history to online purchases to phone calls. Leaked documents show that the surveillance will be used to find vulnerabilities in enemy computer systems. It will help Five Eyes infiltrate and gain permanent access.
China capable of taking down all the critical systems in the U.S.
Leaked NSA presentations show that World War 3 will be fought digitally. So, the U.S. government is acquiring capabilities for network warfare. Every part of human life will be vulnerable. There is almost no differentiation between civilians and targets; anybody can fall victim. The documents say that the group will have the “ability to control/destroy critical systems and networks at will through pre-positioned accesses (laid in Phase 0).”
In November, the National Security Agency director Michael Rogers said that China and “one or two” other countries were fully capable of launching cyber-attacks that could shut down the entire electric grid and other critical systems in the United States. It was the first time the nation’s top cyber official confirmed the possibility of such cyber-attacks. He said the U.S. adversaries were in a position to disrupt the control systems that run everything from water treatment plants to chemical facilities to hospitals.
