Globalization versus Isolation.
Introduction
Globalization is an economic concept by which goods and services move quickly across borders internationally. It’s not just traded as cultures and ideas are traded among different countries.
Isolation is a policy of avoiding foreign entanglements and responsibilities while remaining separate from the affairs and interests of other groups, particularly the political affairs of other countries.
Cybercrime in relation to isolation and globalization
Cybercrime are attacks launched against networks either to steal data or lock a person out of their system for a profit. Types of Cybercrime include
- Denial of Service Attacks (DDOS)
- Ransomware
- Spoofing
- Espionage
- Theft of intellectual property
- Cyber Terrorism
Incidents of hacking between countries
In 2016 there was the U.S. election scandal between the U.S. and Russia. “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with the goals of damaging Hillary Clinton’s campaign, promoting Donald Trump’s candidacy, and fostering political and social strife in the United States,” according to a Wikipedia page. According to the U.S. intelligence community, the operation—code-named Project Lakhta[1][2]—was ordered directly by Russian President Vladimir Putin.” link
China Cyber Espionage units. In 2006 it was discovered that the red army of china was hacking into many American countries. In May 2013, ABC News claimed that China stole blueprints to the headquarters of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Japan, Taiwan, and The Vatican are among other countries claiming to have been hacked by China’s cyber espionage units.
Chinese hackers allegedly breached multiple federal government departments in early 2011, according to Canadian officials, however, the Chinese government has denied involvement. In 2014, Canada’s Chief Information Officer claimed that Chinese hackers had hacked into the computer networks of the National Research Council.
When comparing the competitiveness of the semiconductor industries in China and Taiwan today, Taiwan comes out on top. Wired issued a piece on August 6, 2020, noting that “For the entirety of its existence, Taiwan has been at odds with China, and has been targeted by China’s state-sponsored hackers for years. However, research conducted by a Taiwanese security firm has revealed how deeply a single group of Chinese hackers was able to enter an industry at the heart of the Taiwanese economy, pillaging almost the entire semiconductor industry.”
Attacks against Indian government networks, such as the one on the Indian National Security Council, are believed to have originated in China, according to Indian officials. Chinese hackers, according to the Indian government, are masters in running botnets, which were employed in these attacks. In addition, there have been numerous reports of Chinese cyberattacks against India’s cyberspace.
Huawei. Huawei is a global technology corporation based in China. The U.S. government was stating that Huawei was spying on American citizens through their cell phones. Chinese cell phones, according to the Lithuanian National Cyber Security Centre, are leaking user data. Xiaomi and Huawei phones have been labeled as risky devices following a thorough security investigation. While the first two products have been deemed problematic, OnePlus’ 8T 5G phone has been exempt from Scott’s scrutiny.
Whistleblowing and international relations
“Julian Paul Assange is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who started WikiLeaks in 2006,” according to Wikipedia. WikiLeaks came to international attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by the U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.”
Edward Snowden, who leaked information about the U.S. Government spying on its citizens in 2013, fled to Russia in 2013. Russia later granted him asylum. In October 2020, the Russian government granted him permanent residency.
In both cases, we see whistleblowers fleeing their home countries due to the danger they are placed in their own countries from calling attention to the wrongdoing of their government or other governments against their people. Edward Snowden left the U.S. and went to Russia, Julian Assange left Australia and found temporary safety with Ecuador.
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How Cybercrime impacts International relations.
In the case of Russia, they have increased their attacks since Obama imposed sanctions over the intervention in Ukraine.
Cyberterrorists associated with the Islamic State group have carried out a couple of attacks on social media. They claim social media profiles of public figures then use those accounts to display their messages for the promotion of Islamic extremism.
Global companies incur heavy costs due to hacking. According to webFX.com and their infographic on the cost of Cybercrime, we see many jobs are lost in the U.S. due to cyber attacks.
Advantages and disadvantages of globalization and isolation
Globalization has its advantages (including but not limited to),
- There’s greater access to foreign culture in the form of food, movies, clothing, and more.
- Increased competition due to globalization forces companies to lower their prices, which benefits the consumer
- Technology can spread easily and innovate.
- Improved living standards across the globe
.Some disadvantages include
- The spreading of diseases
- Job loss locally might spark anger from locals
- Foreign workers may be exploited
- Cultural identity isolation
Isolation positives include
- Enabling a country to solely focus on its issues instead of international issues
- Isolation can increase productivity within your own country
- By not getting involved in other countries affairs, we promote peace.
- Spending on military budgets is no longer required
- A greater emphasis on domestic policy.
Disadvantages include
- Making a countries economy suffer
- You may become a target for an attack due to vulnerability
Conclusion
There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of establishing an isolationist foreign policy. Decisions on how and why a country will interact and communicate with other countries must be made after carefully weighing each of these advantages and disadvantages from all angles.
However, the most frequently held view is that globalization has exacerbated disparities in poorer countries. Better prospects in more developed countries, along with the ease of travel, have enticed a large number of educated people to leave underdeveloped countries.