Will the next World War be a cyberwar?

下一场世界大战会是网络战吗?

LSE IQ podcast

2025-12-02

30 分钟
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Contributor(s): Professor Alexander Evans, Dr Lauren Sukin, Nigel Inkster | It seems every week we hear a new report of a cyber-attack. Recent examples include the hacks on Marks and Spencer's, Jaguar Land Rover, and the Co-op, all causing massive economic disruption. While these attacks seem to have come from cyber criminals working within the UK rather than other nation states, they highlight the destruction that cyber-attacks can wreak. What if those attacks were on our critical infrastructure? Our national grid? Our water supply? Is the UK prepared? Charlotte Kelloway meets former Director of Operations and Intelligence for the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Nigel Inkster, who discusses when a cyber-attack could constitute a declaration of war. She also talks to former Director Cyber in the Foreign Office and Associate Dean for Strategic Development at the LSE School of Public Policy Professor Alexander Evans about what the UK is doing defensively and offensively to prevent cyber-attacks. Dr Lauren Sukin from Nuffield College at the University of Oxford explains why there is a lack of regulation in the cyberwar space and explores if depictions of cyberwar in the media are realistic. Contributors: Professor Alexander Evans, Dr Lauren Sukin, Nigel Inkster Research links: Lauren Sukin: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220027231153580 Nigel Inkster: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Decoupling-Struggle-Technological-Supremacy/dp/1787383830 LSE iQ is a university podcast by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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  • The retail giant Marks and Spencer has revealed that customer personal data has been taken by hackers following a cyber attack.

  • The luxury department store Harrods has warned shoppers their personal data may have been stolen in an IT systems breach.

  • Tens of thousands of airline passengers across Europe are being affected by a cyber attack that hit airports across the continent but in particular Brussels.

  • London Heathrow and Berlin.

  • It seems every week we hear a new report of a cyber attack.

  • Recent prominent examples include the hack on retailer marks and expenses,

  • which has reportedly cost the company around £300 million.

  • Other recent attacks include those on Jaguar Land Rover, Harrods,

  • several European airports including Heathrow and the co-op, all causing massive economic disruption.

  • While it seems at this stage these attacks have predominantly come from cyber criminals working within the UK rather than other nation states.

  • They highlight the destruction that cyber attacks can wreak.

  • What if those attacks were on our critical infrastructure?

  • Our national grid.

  • Our water supply.

  • Is the UK prepared?

  • Welcome to LSEIQ.

  • The podcast where we ask social scientists and other experts to answer one intelligent question.

  • I'm Charlotte Callaway from the IQ team,

  • where we work with academics to bring you their latest research and ideas and talk to people affected by the issues we explore.

  • In this episode, I ask, will the next world war be a cyber war?