Cyber-warfare seen through a mariner's spyglass

The Internet is now an essential tool in the everyday conduct of commercial life. The ability of terrorists to conduct cyber-warfare is largely unknown, but the potential for the disruption of life worries many policymakers. In searching for precedent to anticipate the potential impact of a cyber-war, it is important to identify modes of conflict that are useful both against asymmetrically matched opponents and against conflict that strikes at the economy. An effective model for looking at cyber-warfare is that of maritime "guerre de course" or commerce warfare. Moreover, the maritime metaphor provides a useful dialog within which to examine possible future trends in cyber-warfare even beyond the impact of technological innovation, sociological and historical developments, and particular tactics