Imagine a world in the future without violence; the wars in the Middle East have ceased, the military loses its worth. Physical war has gone out of existence. Is this a utopia of peace? Not necessarily, a new kind of war could still be at large. This new kind of war is called cyberwar, and is quite more dangerous than it first sounds.

The world is becoming more technological. The electricity is governed by a computerized grid. Government, business, and individual private information are all stored electronically. Our whole world is governed by electronics, but computers are not as secure as they seem. Storing private information as a hard copy has its risks, as it could be lost, stolen, or damaged. Storing information via computers also has its dangers. Instead of storing information in real space, they can be stored in cyberspace. Cyberspace can be accessed by anyone through the internet that connects the world.

Because cyberspace can be accessed by anyone, anyone skilled enough with a computer may be able to access any private information on cyberspace. This is what began the art of hacking. Hackers access private information located on computers via the internet. For this reason, hackers are a true danger. If they become powerful enough, they could possibly tamper with the electricity grid or even access top-secret government data. Even something as unimportant as the traffic light system could cause hundreds of accidents and pandemonium. Hackers and cyberwar are extremely dangerous.

Is the world doomed to the chaos of cyberwar? Not necessarily. There are weapons that can be used to counter hackers. Probably the most important of these is cryptography, a way that we can hide our information from the onslaught of attackers. Cyberwar is a future that many people ignore, bypass, or dismiss. However, it is becoming quite close to reality, as experienced hackers exist today. We must not think of our computers as a locked safe that will repel any intruder. This notion is vital if our world is not to fall into the grip of cyberwar.