Prof. Dr. Marcelo Augusto de Felippes
Hybrid warfare combines conventional military strategies and tactics with cyber actions.
Transportation is always a target as well as a means in a military operation, in all modes. It is a target because the entire arsenal of weapons and respective supplies and troops circulate through it. As a means, for the same reason of being a target, includes the circulation and mobility of the civilian population.
In all wars known until today, transportation is one of the main logistical functions that often determine the pace of combat. Without it, a troop cannot feed and resupply itself with ammunition, fuel, or medical support. Populations depend on transportation to leave the zone of operations, seeking protected shelter options.
Terrorist actions, similarly, very often target means of transportation.
In hybrid warfare, transportation is even more crucial and the future places it among the key critical elements of success and survival.
If the autonomous vehicle is seen as an inevitable future in transportation, whether land, rail, air, or water, a simple cyber-attack can cause severe casualties or destruction, whether in conventional warfare or terrorist attacks.
Furthermore, attacking transportation infrastructure with various backdoors – access points or gateways to exploit vulnerabilities and allow hackers to assume control – makes cyber an effective strategy and tactic in military operation.
Innumerable software programs infect and erase databases, making the Internet infrastructure of civilian populations and military forces extremely vulnerable.
Any country that values the security of its people must have an efficient transportation mobilization strategy (means, infrastructure, supplies, etc.). As well as contingency plans that serve the civilian population.
To believe that it will never happen “here” is the irresponsible misconduct of any leader whose duty it is to protect a nation.