Back in 1999 I suggested that the Electronic Pearl Harbour would not happen until 2006. In fact it might have happened in 2007. The unprecedented cyber attack on Estonia last year certainly appears to have served as a wake-up call for the West. As reported in Computer Weekly, Nato chiefs have endorsed a new cyberdefence policy.
It’s the start of a long journey towards a new era of warfare. Where will it end? In mutually assured electronic outages, robot wars or David and Goliath style gaming contests? The possibilities are both fascinating and frightening.