Which targets are most often attacked during cyberwar?

In the context of cyberwar, targets are primarily chosen to disrupt, destroy, or deny the use of systems essential to a state's operation. Because modern society relies heavily on cyberspace, attackers frequently target critical infrastructure and national security assets.1

Commonly attacked targets include:

• Government and Military Networks: These are the primary targets of cyberwar, as they are essential for command, control, and national defense.1
• Critical Infrastructure: Systems such as electrical grids, air traffic control, and financial networks are high-value targets. Disrupting these can have widespread effects on a nation's stability.21
• Communication and Information Systems: Telecommunications, computer facilities, and media websites are often targeted to prevent the flow of information and disrupt internal or external communications.3
• Commercial and Financial Web Sites: These are frequently targeted to cause economic disruption or deny services to citizens.3

Attacks may be directed at the physical layer (hardware and cables), the syntactic layer (software and operating instructions), or the semantic layer (human users), depending on the attacker's goal. It is essential to note that while cyberwar is often conflated with cybercrime or cyberespionage, true cyberwar is specifically characterized by state-level aggression intended to undermine an adversary's functional capacity.312