Cyber Attack Issues - Essay Example

The major types of cyber attacks include DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and using computers hijacked and infected with viruses to target websites (Apps). However, according to Apps, a new type of cyber attack that involves overwhelming data centers and crashing websites has evolved. The attackers are majorly nation-states, criminal gangs, and diehard activists seeking a chance to hit their enemies. Apps further reiterate that the goals of the attackers include political activism, providing data theft distraction, and extortion and some attackers just want to showcase their hacking skills. Prevention of cyber-attacks requires the vulnerable parties to understand the critical assets that need protection and enhance the available security solutions for better detection of possible attacks and real-time response (Shackelford, 267).

Cyberspace vulnerabilities raise tremendously important legal questions. In defining the legal issue, it is vital to know what constitutes an adversarial attack in cyberspace. While there is no clear statement in international law that outlines legally acceptable or unacceptable cyber defensive actions, there are legal principles that establish the right to counter a cyber attack as a valid legal response to acts of aggression (Carr, 278).