The Origins of Cyber Warfare: How the Internet Became Weaponized

Abstract

This thesis introduces “cyberfarming,” a new framework for understanding how states weaponize cyberspace through the strategic deployment of technologies within critical infrastructure sectors. While the majority of research on cyberspace addresses resilience, cyber power indices, and incidents of espionage and sabotage, it often overlooks the systematic processes behind cyber weaponization. This study addresses this gap by presenting cyberfarming as a deliberate, state-led strategy to embed technologies for long-term control and leverage in conflicts. The thesis posits that cyber weaponization results from a network of interconnected practices: cyberfarming, legal frameworks supporting offensive actions, reliance on vulnerable infrastructures, and unresolved diplomatic conflicts. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, it examines eight case studies—featuring U.S. adversaries and allies such as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Nigeria, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom—to highlight how these factors collectively drive cyber weaponization. The research also introduces a Diplomatic Hostility Index, illustrating the impact of diplomatic strains on cyber activity escalation and the shift toward technological self-sufficiency in critical sectors like energy and defense. Each chapter analyzes a specific factor affecting cyber weaponization: the role of evolving cyber laws, the vulnerabilities inherent in infrastructure dependencies, and the connection between diplomatic hostility and cyber strategies. This work contributes to the fields of cybersecurity and international security by offering an integrated perspective on cyber weaponization that links technological, legal, and diplomatic dimensions. The findings encourage a holistic approach to cyber policy, equipping policymakers and security professionals to better understand and counter cyber threats in an increasingly interconnected global environment.