RJMSMUN Security Council Study Guide

1. S E C U R I T Y
C O U N C I L
H E A D C H A I R
C A T A R I N A V I T A
C H A I R
E V A G O E T H A L S
C H A I R
M A R I A A N T O N I A K L A B I N
RIO DE JANEIRO MIDDLE SCHOOL
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
STUDY GUIDE

2. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N
CONTENTS
Letter from the Dais/Chairs ………………………………………………………………3
Topic A:
Background Information………………………………………………………….7
Current Situation…………………………………………………………………. 9
Bloc Positions…………………………………………………………………….. 9
Timeline of Events……………………………………………………………… 10
Definition of Key Terms………………………………………………………….12
Guiding Questions……………………………………………………………….12
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………… 13
Topic B:
Background Information……………………………………………………… 16
Current Situation ………………………………………………………………. 20
Bloc Positions…………………………………………………………………… 21
Timeline of Events……………………………………………………………….22
Definition of Key Terms………………………………………………………… 24
Guiding Questions……………………………………………………………….25
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………… 25
2

3. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 3
LETTER FROM DAIS
Dear delegates,
To be part of the Security Council’s Daisis a great pleasure, but to be a
delegate of the Security Council is an even greater one. As a delegate of the
Security Council, the idealistic — but possibly realistic — possibility of world
peace is in your hands. Keep that in mind before every speech, every point of
information, and every clause in your resolution.
Out of all of the possible Security Council topics, the Dais members
deliberately chose to discuss the Oppression of Uyghurs in China and the
Cyber Warfare threat. Besides our undying passion and excitement for each
of these issues, they are increasingly pressing to our world, and soon they can
make direct impacts on us. It truly is a privilege to be discussing these issues
instead of suffering from them, and we must all use this privilege wisely and
maturely.
The first topic at hand, the Oppression of Uyghurs in China, will consider
camps built by China exclusively for Uyghur Muslims, alongside the general
oppression this minority suffers in the country. This issue has been often
postponed to discuss on an international scale since China is such a significant
economic partner to the world. Addressing this issue is bold but beyond
necessary and urgent. The second topic revolves around the threat of cyber
warfare or attacks conducted in computer softwares that can have various
impacts. This issue is closer to us than we think, and debating and studying
about it will help us all with our formations as global citizens.
One of the purposes of RJMSMUN is to create a friendly environment for
delegates and chairs so that we can all contribute to our growth and become
better MUNers, students, and people. This is not the only thing that makes
RJMSMUN unique; however, your participation contributes to the uniqueness
of this conference. Whether you are a confident and outspoken delegate or a
shy one without that much experience, you will contribute uniquely to this
conference and our lives. For that, we thank you in advance.

4. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 4
Being in a friendly environment is not synonymous with being unprofessional,
however. Keep in mind that these issues are happening in the world as we
speak, and it is your duty as a representative of your country to defend the
world against them. As chairs, we expect you to be humble and serious with
the topic at hand.
Being a chair means not only spending hours researching for your study guide
or moderating the debate. Being a chair is to be supportive, kind,
approachable, and knowledgeable. We hope we are during this conference,
and what we will work hard to be. If we are anything but the characteristics
we listed, please let us know. We are not here to intimidate you in any way,
and we want our delegates to succeed — not only in RJMSMUN but
everywhere and anywhere else you go.
If you, delegates, think this study guide is unclear, want help with research,
have no idea what to do, want MUN tips, or just want to talk, do not hesitate
to contact us.
Thank you,
The Dais.
Catarina Vita
22vitac@pasb.com.br
Eva Goethals
gr347311@graded.br
Maria Antônia Klabin
2024mariaantoniaklabin@britishschool.g12.br

5. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 5
COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION
The Security Council is one of the United Nations' permanent organs and
has the purpose of maintaining “international peace and security,”
alongside abiding by all clauses of the UN Charter and other official UN-
backed documents.
Resolutions are documents with direct calls to action to resolve a conflict,
and only the Security Council can take immediate, restrictive action
alongside deploying troops. Only the Security Council can use the
operative clauses “urges” and “demands” in their resolutions.
Nonetheless, this council can also have clauses that recommend using
operative clauses that indicate this. Operative clauses are words used
before each call to action in a resolution paper that identifies how this
action will be conducted. Amendments are other clauses that can be
added to the resolution after introducing the chairs.
This committee has five essential nations: Russia, France, the United
Kingdom, the United States of America, and China. These are known as
the P-5 nations, and they have the veto power or the power to
automatically stop a resolution from passing after they vote against it.
Any of the P-5 countries that wish to do so must vote “against with
rights” and make a short speech justifying their veto. The main purpose
of the Security Council is to resolve a conflict, so nations that wish to use
their veto power should use it with prudence. Regardless, all member
nations have the right to vote.
The Security Council passes resolutions with a simple majority (one more
than ½ of the total number of delegates) and amendments passing with
a ⅔ majority (⅔ of the number of delegates, rounding up.)
This committee arguably holds the most pressing and urgent issues
globally; therefore, it holds the most competent delegates. We are
already beyond proud!

6. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 6
TOPIC A: Addressing the
Oppression of Uighur Muslims in
China
A D D R E S S I N G T H E O P P R E S S I O N O F
U I G H U R M U S L I M S I N C H I N A

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Uyghur Muslim ethnical minority, predominant in the Eastern European and Asian
region, have accused the Chinese government of ongoing Human Rights violations.
China has been accused of building camps exclusively for Uyghurs, and ex-detainees
reported human rights violations and xenophobia.
The Xinjiang Region
In China, the Xinjiang region, which harbours around 11 million Uyghurs, was only
annexed by China in 1945. As a result, this region has various cultural differences
from the rest of the Chinese territory, and various Uyghurs still refer to their land as
East Turkestan.
The Xinjiang region is also very significant to China’s thriving economy since its
geographical location is key to maintaining trade ties with neighbouring countries.
This Northern region is China’s connection to neighbouring countries that participate
in its new Belt and Road Initiative, a junction of railways and roads linking China to
adjacent nations — such as Pakistan and Kazakhstan — for trading purposes. China’s
Belt and Road Initiative is key to Chinese economic growth since it facilitates trading
routes and makes China a more accessible trading partner for adjacent countries.
Furthermore, Xinjiang is China’s largest asset in natural resources.

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R J M S M U N 8
The camps started being built between 2017 and 2018, but the Chinese government long
denied their existence. When satellite images of the camps were revealed, the Chinese
government admitted that the camps were “re-education” camps and not concentration
camps as international organisations posed.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — a junction of media
companies including the BBC and The Guardian — received a leaked official document from
the deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhu Hailun. This document, also
referred to as the China Cables, was written in 2017 and gave directions about how the
camps would operate. The orders included never allowing escapes, increasing discipline and
punishment for behavioural violations, ensuring full video surveillance of all dormitories and
classrooms, leaving the camps free of blind spots, among others.
According to other leaked documents, 15,000 people from the Xinjiang region were sent to
the camps only in the span of one week.
There are numerous allegations of xenophobia and inhumanity in these camps by ex-
detainees. The Uyghurs are encouraged — if not forced — to abandon their religion and
adhere to traditional Chinese customs. The camp experience is a Mandarin intensive, where
Uyghurs are discouraged from speaking their native language; in fact, many allegations state
that detainees are physically and/or mentally punished if they do not speak Mandarin. Ex-
detainees also allege that they were forced to drink alcohol and eat pork, against their
Muslim religion.
The leaked China Cable document stated that detainees are awarded points for their
obedience and discipline, and these points determine whether or not the prisoners will be
able to leave the camps or meet their families.
Outside the Camps
There are significant cultural differences between the Xinjiang region and the rest of China,
so Uyghurs often do not consider their Xinjiang region a part of China. This region is crucial
to China’s ascending economy, so the Chinese government encouraged Han Chinese people
to migrate there too; consequently, traditional Chinese culture. As a consequence of culture
shock and xenophobia, the Uyghur community suffered severe discrimination. In 2009,
Uyghur terrorists killed numerous Han Chinese people — the largest ethnic group in China
— in an organised attack in Urumqi, so the Chinese government worries about future
attacks on their soil. In 2017, a law that states that men could not grow long beards and
women could not use veils — both traditional characteristics of Uyghurs — was passed in
Xinjiang. Even outside camp walls, Uyghur Muslims are still subject to direct and indirect
xenophobia on Chinese soil.
The Camps

9. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 9
The government of China has recently detained a little more than a million Muslims in re-
education camps. The majority of the people who have been detained are Uighur, a
predominantly Turquish ethnic group from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang. The
Human rights organisations, United Nations officials, and many foreign governments are
urging China to stop the abuses of what the United States has described as genocide.
Nonetheless, Chinese officials keep what they call the vocational training centres and argue
that they do not infringe on Uyghurs’ human rights. They have refused to share information
about the detention centres and prevented journalists and foreign investigators from
examining them by not allowing them inside the camps, besides not being completely
transparent with information. However, internal Chinese government documents leaked in
late 2019 have provided important details on how officials launched and maintained the
detention camps.
The United States (when it was still under the Trump administration) and Canada officially
declared the oppression of Uyghur Muslims in China a genocide. Nonetheless, due to China’s
economic and diplomatic influence, the oppression of Uyghurs is still in vigour. The Trump
Administration officially condemned China for genocide on their last day in office. In
response, a Chinese media representative “condemned” the United States for genocide due
to how they handled the pandemic.
CURRENT SITUATION

10. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 0
Although the camps started being built between 2017 and 2018, the Chinese government long
denied their existence. China has rejected “slanderous attacks” about conditions for Muslim
Uighurs and other minorities, saying that they enjoyed the freedom of religion and other
fundamental rights. Moreover, satellite images of the camps were revealed; nonetheless, the
Chinese government admitted that the camps were “re-education” camps and not concentration
camps as international organisations posed.
China
United States of America
While the United States has been selectively critical of China’s Xinjiang policies, the Trump
administration appeared unwilling to push too far overall, prioritising trade negotiations over
human rights criticisms. However, president-elect Joe Biden has reportedly pressed his
counterpart over human rights abuses in Hong Kong and the northwestern Xinjiang province.
Still, US President Joe Biden has appeared to downplay China’s genocide of Uighur Muslims,
saying “culturally there are different norms” in every country.
France
France strongly condemned this “unacceptable” situation and declared that it would continue to
pressure China on the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority and call for the closure of
internment camps. Furthermore, he said that witness accounts and documents from the Chinese
region of Xinjiang pointed to "unjustifiable practices towards Uighurs, and a system of large-
scale surveillance and institutionalised repression."
Saudi Arabia
Along with Russia and 35 other states, Saudia Arabia has written to the United Nations
supporting China's policies in its western region of Xinjiang, in contrast to strong Western
criticism. Although being a majority Muslim state, it has calculated that defending the Muslim
minority is not worth the risk of losing Chinese economic, political, and military assistance, like
many other countries in the Middle East.
BLOC POSITIONS

11. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 1
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1949
Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong
declared the People’s Republic of China's creation
and brought Xinjiang under its control.
1954
The People’s Republic designated the Uyghurs as
one of China’s officially recognised ethnic
minorities and were not given any significant
political power.
1966
The Cultural Revolution arrives in Xinjiang.
Mosques were destroyed or converted into
Communist Party buildings. Religious texts and
Uyghur-language books were deemed anti-
revolutionary and were confiscated and burned.
2009
Riots in Urumqi. The riots led to China's worst
ethnic violence and set the wheels in motion for
today's internment camps. They marked a turning
point for government policy in Xinjiang.
2012
The ascent of Xi Jinping launched a campaign
called “People’s War on Terror” in 2014. Since
then, the Chinese government has come to treat
almost all expressions of the Uighur Islamic faith
as signs of potential religious extremism and
ethnic separatism.

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R J M S M U N 1 2
Authorities arrested Uyghurs for any behaviour
deemed potentially “extremist”, confiscated
passports and police stations sprang up every few
hundred yards in Xinjiang
A Xinjiang law forbids men from growing large
beards and women from wearing vests — both of
which are Uighur practices — passed.
China started building camps exclusively for
Uighur muslims
2017
2018
A report put together by the UN estimated that a
million Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang
had been imprisoned within them.
Fall 2019
Drone footage emerged of hundreds of
blindfolded and shackled men marching off a
train in Xinjiang. All had their heads shaved; all
appeared to be Uyghur or other minority
prisoners.
February 2020
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute found
evidence in 2020 of more than 380 of these "re-
education camps" in Xinjiang, increasing 40% on
previous estimates.
March 2020
A report written by ASPI’s International Cyber
Policy Centre (ICPC) was published that showed
Uyghurs were being transferred to factories used
by global brands, including Nike and Apple, and
made to work “under conditions that strongly
suggest forced labour.”

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R J M S M U N 1 3
June 2020
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act requires
various federal US government bodies to address
human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist
Party and the Chinese government against
Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
September 2020
Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang
Jun speaks to reporters at the Chinese Mission to
the United Nations, denouncing Human Rights
violations.
January 2021
The US State Department declared (again) that
the Chinese government is committing genocide
and crimes against humanity.

14. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 4
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
Xenophobia
The type of prejudice against people belonging to different countries or cultures.
Terrorism
is the awful use of violence against people, political cases cause especially civilians; normally,
attacks.
Concentration Camps
a place where an overloaded number of people are imprisoned. The term is strongly associated
with the Nazis in Germany.
Genocide
means a large number of people in a community and/or nation to destroy a
group/community/nation.
Repression
repression can mean many things, but in this specific case, it means something like suppression:
you restrain, inhibit, or subdue something.
Training Centre
A Training Centre is a product that allows companies to build custom training material that
documents its best practices and procedures in a private section on Procore's

15. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 5
GUIDING QUESTIONS
What is my country’s relationship with China in terms of trade
and diplomacy?
How will my position on this issue affect my relations with
China?
How will the general oppression (i.e. xenophobia) of Uyghurs
in China be resolved? How can the UN solve this?
How can the issue of Uyghur camps in China be resolved
without breaching national sovereignty?
What are the economic, social, and humanitarian impacts of
this issue on the national and global scale?

16. Bibliography
Wood, B. 2019, ​What is happening with the Uighurs in China? PBS NewsHour, Online, Accessed
02/20/2021, ​https://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/uighurs/
Nebehay, S. 2018, ​China rejects allegations of detaining a million Uighurs in camps in
Xinjiang​, Reuters, Accessed 02/20/2021,
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-un-uighurs/china-rejects-allegations-of-detain
ing-1-million-uighurs-in-camps-in-xinjiang-idUSKBN1KY0Z7
BBC News, 11/24/2019, ​Data leak reveals how China 'brainwashes' Uighurs in prison
camps​, BBC News, Accessed 02/20/2021,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50511063
Citizen Truth, 05/09/2019, ​Exclusive: Uighurs’ Testimonies of Atrocities Inside Chinese
Camps​, World Uyghur Congress, Accessed 02/20/2021,
https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/exclusive-uighurs-testimonies-of-atrocities-inside-chines
e-camps/
Kirby, J. 11/25/2020, ​Concentration Camps and Forced Labor: China’s Repression of the
Uighurs, Explained​, Vox News, Accessed 02/20/2021,
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/28/21333345/uighurs-china-internment-camps-forced-labor-xinji
ang
NPR, 11/26/2017, ​Wary of Unrest Among Uighur Minority, China Locks Down Xinjiang
Region​, NPR News, Accessed 02/20/2021,
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/09/26/553463964/wary-of-unrest-among-uighur-
minority-china-locks-down-xinjiang-province
Maizland, L. Last Updated on 03/01/2021, ​China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang​, CFR
News, Accessed 03/05/2021,
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uighurs-xinjiang
Vicky Xiuzhong Xu, Danielle Cave. “Uyghurs for Sale.” ASPI, 1 Mar. 2020,
www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale​.
“Who Are the Uighurs and Why Is the US Accusing China of Genocide?” ​BBC News​, BBC, 9
Feb. 2021, ​www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037
“China's Repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang.” ​Council on Foreign Relations​, Council on
Foreign Relations, ​www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uighurs-xinjiang
1

17. Michael Dillon | Published in History Today Volume 70 Issue 1 January 2020. “A Uighurs'
History of China.” ​History Today​,
www.historytoday.com/archive/behind-times/uighurs%E2%80%99-history-china
Wong, Edward, and Chris Buckley. “U.S. Says China's Repression of Uighurs Is 'Genocide'.”
The New York Times​, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2021,
www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/trump-china-xinjiang.html​.
Putz, Catherine. “Which Countries Are For or Against China's Xinjiang Policies?” ​– The
Diplomat​, For The Diplomat, 22 July 2019,
www.thediplomat.com/2019/07/which-countries-are-for-or-against-chinas-xinjiang-policies/​.
“China's Oppression of Xinjiang's Uyghurs: a Visual History.” Coda Story, 5 Nov. 2020,
www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/china-oppression-uyghurs-history/​.
“US: China ‘committed genocide against Uighurs’. BBC, 20 Jan. 2021,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55723522
2

18. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 8
TOPIC B: Alleviating the Threats of
Cyber Warfare
T H E R E I S O N E H A C K E R A T T A C K E V E R Y
3 9 S E C O N D S .

19. With the growth of technology comes the growth of fear, and one of the world’s
greatest fears is cyber warfare. By definition, cyber warfare relates to actions by States
against other international organisations through damaging the victim’s computer
software. Nonetheless, cyber warfare does not limit itself to social media; hackers
have become wanted for attempting to invade nuclear weapon stockpiles. Therefore,
the threat of cyber warfare is not limited to leaking private information from civilians;
a nuclear war can also be incited.
Some nations regard cyber warfare as a top concern to their international security,
therefore adopting strict protective measures against it: cyber weapons to military
units received timely and monetary investments from governments across the globe.
SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 1 9
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
How Cyber Weapons Work and Types of Cyber Attacks
Cyber weapons are made of malware — software built to harm other programs — and
grant the hackers access to the enemy’s computers or even defend themselves against
the enemy’s attacks. Russia and China are notably the most evolved in building cyber
weapons, with the Russian “Snake” and the Chinese-intercepted “EpMe.”
These weapons are still novel to the world, so there are no official classifications for
them. Nonetheless, they can still be organised in a spectrum ranging from being able
to influence a system into leaking confidential information — low-potential — to
directly penetrating it — high potential. Penetrating a system is seen as more
dangerous because the cyber weapon can decide what to do with the software, which
includes destroying it. When a high-potential cyber weapon is used in nuclear
command and control, nuclear weapons can be deployed instantly and cause
numerous fatalities.

20. Towards the mentioned start of the spectrum, weapons that fall under that category can be
referred to as having a “paintball pistol effect”. Cyber weapons like such generally overload a
server so that it delays it and prevents a computer service from loading, for example. These
weapons work indirectly, so the weakest of them are not seen as a cyber weapon. An
example of the “paintball pistol effect” is a denial of service (DoS) attack, in which a cyber
weapon is released in software and makes it inaccessible or impenetrable by users.
Although these weapons are seen as weak, nations can still suffer significant impacts when
used deliberately.
As the spectrum comes to its higher-potential end, cyber weapons under that spectrum
interrupt not only softwares but also the ability to penetrate and alter computer programs.
These weapons aim to invade vulnerable software; their aim is on specific, often protected
programs, such as government websites and software that hold highly classified
information. The users of these weapons often intend to harm civilians’ lives directly, so they
usually aim to attack public utilities and powerhouses. Since these cyber weapons are still
made of zeros and ones from malware, they do not cause physical damage by themselves.
Instead, they can penetrate their target systems so that they can place civilians in danger.
This is the case if a high-potential cyber weapon hacks into a nuclear powerhouse and
causes an explosion.
SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 0
Cyber Attacks Case Studies
Like military operations, nations have already come together virtually to attack the
opposition. Stuxnet is one of the most notable cyber weapons made cooperatively between
nations: a junction between Israel and the United States, it had the objective of decreasing
the Iranian nuclear capability.

21. Stuxnet is a “computer worm”: while other types of malware need someone to open it
manually, this type of cyber weapon spreads and infects on its own. Stuxnet is considered a
high-potential cyber weapon, posing greater threats to the international community. This
weapon damaged over ten industrial sites in Iran, alongside a uranium-enrichment plant in
2010. In response, the Iranian government increased its budget for cybersecurity by 1,200%,
according to CrowdStrike’s analyst and cyber security expert, Andretta Towner. The Iranian
government was also accused of attacking US banks two years after Stuxnet’s attack,
revealing how focused Iran became in retaliating to the United States and conducting more
of their attacks on an artificial or virtual level.
Estonia, a post-Soviet nation that soon became an ally to the West after its ingression in the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), suffered a cyber attack by Russia in April 2007.
Estonia is a nation that became technologically modernised very quickly but did not invest
enough in cybersecurity, making it vulnerable to its neighbouring cyber-powers.
SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 1
Estonian Cyber Attacks
Estonian authorities decided to move a bronze Russian soldier’s statue from its capital,
which they saw as a cultural attack on the Russian-speaking population and Russia itself.
Therefore, riots spread all over the Estonian capital, Tallinn, from 26 to 27 of April 2017.
Russia allegedly became involved in this conflict on the 27th because of the nation’s bronze
soldier moving, with light DoS attacks. The situation quickly escalated, nonetheless, lasting
for about three weeks. The conflict reached its climax on May 9, when almost sixty Estonian
websites shut down, and the nation’s biggest bank was unavailable technologically for 90
minutes. There is no concrete evidence that Russia conducted these attacks, but the
international community sees the symbolism present in this conflict as enough evidence.
The Russian soldier’s statue that was moved represented the Soviet victory from the Nazis,
and May 9 is the Russian Victory Day: the day that celebrates the surrender and defeat of
Nazi Germany. Besides, there are allegations that the IP addresses belonged to Russian
addresses, and Estonia’s appeals to this country were ignored. This was the closest Estonia
got to a cyber conflict, and the country quickly invested time, money, and efforts to protect
itself from the threats artificial intelligence posed.
The Estonian government envisioned the 2007 events as a wake-up call for them to start
growing militarily, including their cyber intelligence. The Ministry of Defense trains Estonian
Information Technology (IT) experts, and the Estonian government created the Cyber
Defense Unit, composed of volunteers that wish to grow their knowledge of cybersecurity.

22. An example of a cyber attack conducted with a high-potential cyber weapon with the intent
to harm people’s lives directly is the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) alleged attack on a
Soviet Trans-Siberian pipeline in 1982. The cyberweapons penetrated the pipeline’s control
system and caused it to explode.
Although there were no fatalities, this cyber attack severely damaged the Soviet economy.
The Trans-Siberian pipeline linked Siberian gas fields to European buyers, a significant part
of the Soviet economy. The Soviet Union also had to spend around $8 billion in repairs due
to the attack. Besides, if conducted by the CIA, this cyber attack would be an attempt to
show the world how evolved the United States was in terms of technology, something
prevalent in the Cold War scenario.
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R J M S M U N 2 2
Cyber Squads: Military Units Through a Computer Screen
Cybersecurity is such significant concern to some nations, especially those who have already
suffered from cyber-attacks — that they have invested in cyber squads. Cyber squads are
military units that are exclusive to defending their nation from cyber warfare, and one of the
most famous and transparent ones belongs to the United States of America.
The cyber squad from the United States is called Cyber Command, and it works adjacent to
the artificial intelligence community for growth in this area. Cyber Command works with
planning and conducting cyberattacks, following a strict and calculated protocol. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also invested in its own Cyber Division. Essentially, both this
division and Cyber Command have the same purposes: strengthening the United States’
ability to conduct cyberattacks and defend itself against them.
Each nation’s stance on their cybersecurity tactics is relatively less public than their
information about other parts of their military; for example, there are two main factors for
this. The first one is that the cybersecurity aspect is consistently growing, and so is their
tactics in defending themselves virtually. The other factor — likely the most important one —
is that revealing the nation’s tactics to the world makes them available to their adversaries.
Acknowledging the lessons learned from previous cyber attacks, the international
community — in general — has become warier of their surroundings. In the virtual world, no
one is safe.
The Soviet Trans-Siberian Pipeline

23. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 3
As artificial intelligence evolves, so do cyber weapons. North Korea has launched its cyber
worm (a weapon with functions similar to Stuxnet’s) known as WannaCry in 2017, capable of
hacking into Chinese universities and British hospitals’ software.
Cyberwarfare threatens the world suddenly and impactfully, especially because artificial
intelligence is such a novel topic in the world. Nations around the world are continually
investing in cybersecurity, while others do not have the means to invest in them. While
nations such as the United States continuously invest time and money into developing
cybersecurity, individual companies worry about their security within the online realm. In the
COVID-19 pandemic scenario, 43% of infosecurity professionals notice a substantial increase
in cyber attacks.
This year, a cyberattack happened in Russia, one of the most sophisticated hacking markets
in the world. Similarly to most other cyber attacks, the inside information of the hack attack
is still unclear. President Joe Biden’s struggles to find innovative ways to retaliate against
Russia. The National Security Agency, despite spending billions of dollars planting sensors in
networks all around the globe, missed the true evidence for more than a year, a point made
by Democrats and Republicans, who asked how long the United States would have remained
in the dark.
SolarWinds, one of the most prominent informational technology firms in the United States,
was first hacked in December 2020 and has become of major concern to the United States.
The cyberattack enabled the hackers — that insiders believe is Russian — to spy on elite
cybersecurity companies and even the US Department of Homeland Security.
On March 7, 2021, 30,000 US Organizations were hacked allegedly by a Chinese espionage
company. All of these organisations use Microsoft’s Exchange Server software, so that the
hackers could invade this software, and therefore being able to get access to confidential
emails and install malware. Microsoft has not revealed the other impacts it suffered due to
the attack.
CURRENT SITUATION

24. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 4
In the late 1990s, the US began to establish the military’s first-ever cyber war-fighting
command. Since then, it has a very strong task force that pays much attention to cyber warfare
issues and its great cyber capabilities. As its economy developed, it has invested more in this
area. However, by doing so, it has also exposed itself to cyberattacks from other nations. In order
to prevent them, the country has increased its task force and has been training employees to deal
with this issue. They have been involved in many cyberattacks, somewhere they attacked and
others where they were attacked, as seen in the timeline below.
United States of America
China
China's academic discussion of cyber warfare started in the 1990s, and since then, it has grown
a very large hacker army, although it is largely lagging behind that of the US. It has been
accused of cyberattacks from a number of Western countries. It is believed that China utilises
this area to rise and ultimately achieve global dominance. There is a very high investment in
cyber teams. Also, its cyber capabilities are developed not only as a response to the evolving
cyber warfare approaches and practices of other countries but also in accordance with its national
security environment and domestic situation.
Isarael
In the last two decades, Israel established itself as a leading actor in the global arena of
cybersecurity governance, strategy, and industry. Furthermore, Israel faces constant cyberattacks
ranging from states to hacker groups to individuals. This has forced Israel to develop highly
advanced capabilities. Like most countries, Israel has not just faced cyberattacks but has also
been a leader in using them for offence.
Russia
In 1986, the Russians were the first who implemented cyber power as a weapon. Over the past
two decades, Russia’s military has undergone a fundamental modification of its conception of
warfare and the role of cyber operations in this evolving view, resulting in potent cyber offensive
capabilities. Although foreign countries consider it a threat, the Kremlin has always denied cyber
attacks against the West. Cyberwarfare by Russia includes denial of service attacks, hacker
attacks, dissemination of disinformation and propaganda and many others.
BLOC POSITIONS
Russia
After months of speculation and a decade after the UK first began offensive cyber-operations,
the National Cyber Force's existence has been publicly confirmed. With it, the UK aims to counter
threats from terrorists, criminals and hostile states. Furthermore, the force is not just about high-
end military capability; rather, it has been designed to operate day-to-day against wider threats.

25. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 5
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
December 2006
NASA was forced to shut down emails with
attachments due to fear of being hacked by
foreign intruders.
2007-2015
Operation Olympic games began as a way to
deter, and ultimately destroyed Iran’s uranium
enrichment measures. A covert and still
unacknowledged campaign of sabotage by means
of cyber disruption, directed at Iranian nuclear
facilities by the United States and likely Israel.
April 2007
A series of cyberattacks targeted websites of
Estonian organisations, including Estonian
parliament, banks, ministries, newspapers and
broadcasters, amid the country's disagreement
with Russia. The hacks put political pressure on
the Georgian government and appeared to be
coordinated with Russian military actions.
October 2007
China’s Ministry of State Security said that foreign
hackers claimed to come from Taiwan and the US
had been stealing information from Chinese key
areas.
Summer 2008
The databases of both Republican and Democratic
US presidential campaigns were hacked and
downloaded by unknown foreign intruders.

26. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 6
January 2009
Hackers attacked Israel's internet system during
the military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
July 2009
A series of coordinated cyberattacks against major
government, news media, and financial websites
in South Korea and the United States.
January 2010
The Iranian Cyber Army attacked Baidu, a popular
Chinese search engine.
October 2013
The Singapore cyberattacks were a series of
cyberattacks initiated by the hacktivist
organisation Anonymous, conducted partly in
response to web censorship regulations in
Singapore.
2015-2016
Cyber attacks against the Democratic National
Committee were implemented by the Russian-
sponsored cyber-espionage groups Cozy Bear and
Fancy Bear, possibly to assist Donald Trump's
2016 presidential campaign.
October 2019
Chinese hackers targeted governmental agencies
and embassies across Southeastern Asia.
November 2019
Hackers attacked Britain’s opposition Labour Party,
back-to-back, flooding its web services with
malicious traffic in an attempt to force them
offline just weeks ahead of a national election.

27. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 7
January 2020
A Russian hacking group invaded the Ukrainian
energy company, in which Hunter Biden was a
previous board member.
April 2020
A serious cyberattack on Israel’s water
infrastructure facilities. Iran, Israeli officials
alleged, had attacked to tamper with the water
chlorine levels, and Israel responded with a
cyberattack against Iranian port facilities.
June 2020
Donald Trump confessed to authorising a 2019
operation by the Cyber Command that took down
the Russian Internet Research Agency.
October 2020
The UK's National Cyber Security centre
discovered evidence that proved that Russia had
been planning a troublesome attack for the
postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
November 2020
The UK's National Cyber Security centre
discovered evidence that proved that Russia had
been planning a troublesome attack for the
postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

28. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 8
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
Cyberwarfare
Actions by States against other States/entities through damaging the victim’s computer software
Cybersecurity
Measures taken by nations/entities to protect their software from cyber attacks.
Cyber weapons
Malware-made “weapons” that have the purpose of damaging or penetrating the enemy’s
computer software.
Malware
A type of software that has the unique purpose of harming other computers.
Software
Where you store all of your computer activity, this can also relate to a series of instructions that
indicate computer actions.
Artificial Intelligence
The ability of a computer/ electronic device that is controlled by a computer to do things that are
usually made by humans because they are needed for human intelligence.
Ransomeware
A kind of malicious software designed to block access to a computer or computer archives until
an amount of money is paid.
Malicious Emails
They are formed to attack other computers simply by an email that is sent. They can be sent by
documents or a simple link to follow.
Darkweb
Online content that is not the conventional research approach. It can also be called the "darknet".
The dark web is mainly used for the hacking market.

29. SC STUDY GUIDE
R J M S M U N 2 9
GUIDING QUESTIONS
Is the growth of cybersecurity measures and artificial
intelligence in general beneficial to the world?
Will technological growth help or hinder your country?
How is your nation’s relationship with cybersecurity?
What has your nation done in regards to cybersecurity?
Has your nation ever suffered a cyber attack? Has your nation
ever conducted one?
How does cybersecurity help or deteriorate your country’s
economy?
Is the world more unequal because of cybersecurity?
How real and urgent is the threat of cyber warfare?

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