Cyber weapons are the ultimate in asymmetric warfare. Not only are they at the disposal of multiple players – countless players, if you include non-state actors – but it is often impossible to know who is hitting you. Was that a branch of the Kremlin, or a rogue Russian operative? Was that an outfit of the People’s Liberation Army or a bunch of nihilistic hackers? Was it Isis, or Iran? If you do not know who is attacking you, or who is likely to attack you next, how is it possible to deter them with the threat of retaliation? Even when you can identify your assailant, it is hard to know what
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