Exponential: Order and Chaos in an Age of Accelerating Technology

by Azeem Azhar

But that is changing fast. The North Korean cyber army included anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000 troops as of 2016 – all under the direct command of leader Kim Jong-un.18 The importance of this organisation lies not only in its attempts to disrupt South Korean infrastructure, but in its involvement in illegal state activities. The North Korean cyber force has drawn blood with online scams, fraud and attacks on online banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.19 International organised crime and cyber warfare are thought to have fuelled the growth in North Korea’s GDP since 2015.20 A UN report estimated that North Korean cyber experts have illegally ‘raised’ up to $2 billion for the country’s weapons programs. This is a much cheaper form of extraterritorial activity than the traditional modes of warfare – which involve sending troops to the other side of the world. All the North Koreans need to wreak havoc is a computer and a talented hacker. This dynamic means many relatively poor nations can have a disproportionately impactful foreign policy.