Cyberwarfare involves the use of cyber attacks by one state against another, aiming to disrupt critical computer systems or inflict harm comparable to traditional conflict through means like espionage, sabotage, or economic manipulation. Despite this, there's significant debate among experts regarding its precise definition and whether any cyber incidents to date truly qualify as "war," though it's often applied to attacks causing physical damage.

Many nations, including the U.S., U.K., Russia, China, and Israel, maintain active offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, increasing the likelihood that cyber operations could escalate into physical confrontations. A notable instance of this was observed on May 5, 2019, when the Israel Defense Forces carried out the first known kinetic military strike—destroying a building—in direct response to an ongoing cyberattack. While various experts like former U.S. National Coordinator Richard A. Clarke have proposed definitions focusing on state-sponsored damage, the exact nature and scope of cyberwarfare continue to be areas of active discussion and ambiguity.