Zero-Day exploits and Cyber Weapons|My essay solution

For your initial post, discuss all three topics below. Respond to posts from other students.

Zero-Day exploits and Cyber Weapons

1. Analyze the significance of the STUXNET malicious code events in Iran, and the significance of the Dragonfly malicious code currently found in the US and Europe (Do not dwell on describing the effects, instead describe the significance).
2. Analyze the effects of the global market for sale of ZDEs.  Can the proliferation of ZDEs and cyberweapons be controlled or managed by a treaty similar to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty?   Is it possible to keep a count of cyber weapons the same way we can monitor nations to count their nuclear weapons?  Explain your answer.
3. Describe the characteristics and possible effects on computer equipment and businesses due to a cyberattack using Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or Microwave Directed Energy.  Compare those characteristics and effects on computers to the traditional effects that are commonly associated with a malicious code cyberattack.  Look up the costs for various commercial EMP devices found for sale on the Internet.

SOLUTION

Zero-Day Exploits and Cyber Weapons: Zero-Day exploits (ZDEs) are software vulnerabilities that are unknown to the software developers, which can be used by cybercriminals to conduct cyberattacks. Cyber weapons are tools used by nation-states or other organizations to conduct cyberattacks on targeted systems. These tools often include ZDEs. Analyze the significance of the STUXNET malicious code events in Iran, and the significance of the Dragonfly malicious code currently found in the US and Europe (Do not dwell on describing the effects, instead describe the significance). STUXNET was a highly sophisticated cyber weapon that was used to target Iran’s nuclear facilities. It was the first publicly known cyber weapon that caused physical damage to a target. The significance of STUXNET is that it marked a turning point in the development and use of cyber weapons. It demonstrated that cyber weapons could be used to cause physical damage to infrastructure and could potentially be used as an alternative to traditional military force.