The new world of cyber warfare is upon us. Today, enemies send out malware through the internet. They send instructions to external computers, often in email attachments. This is their way to steal passwords, email correspondence, and documents, mostly unnoticed; this is how they gain access to the computers of generals and ministers to record conversations; this is how hackers manipulate elections or paralyze government authorities and power stations. These are attacks meant to damage what keeps countries together at their very core: their economy, their internal security, everyday life.
This conflict has intensified steadily over the last decade. Today, it looks as though it might be steering towards escalation. Espionage, sabotage, and destabilization are all happening every day. The question is what comes next. How long will it take until someone reprograms drones or sabotages a nuclear program?
The future we face has changed. My mother used to tell me, everything in moderation. The internet has expanded the global economy beyond all proportions. We have clients in more than 150 countries out of 195. Attendees from over 137 countries attend our World Economic Conferences — the largest private events in the forecasting area.
The dark side of the internet is the mere fact that it has opened the doorway to a new type of warfare. Where do we go from here? As we cascade into 2032, the future certainly becomes exposed to an endless array of interesting twists. Like the classic line from the Wizard of Oz, “Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore!”