Cybersecurity, Surveillance, and Military Retaliation: Why Some Balloons Bust–and Others Don’t

{
  "authors": [
    "Lauren Sukin"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "NPP",
  "programs": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "East Asia",
    "China"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Cybersecurity, Surveillance, and Military Retaliation: Why Some Balloons Bust–and Others Don’t

So, what was it about this particular incident that generated such swift, bipartisan calls for a military response?

By Lauren Sukin

Published on Feb 27, 2023

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

About the Author

Lauren Sukin

Nonresident Scholar, Nuclear Policy Program

Lauren Sukin a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and associate professor at the University of Oxford.

Recent Work

Paper
When Nuclear Superiority Isn’t Superior: Revisiting the Nuclear Balance of Power
- Lauren Sukin
Article
Rattling the Nuclear Saber: What Russia’s Nuclear Threats Really Mean
- Lauren Sukin

Security Nuclear Policy North America United States East Asia China

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie China

Commentary
When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly Nonpartisan
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
Commentary
ASEAN-China Digital Cooperation: Deeper but Clear-Eyed Engagement
ASEAN needs to determine how to balance perpetuating the benefits of technology cooperation with China while mitigating the risks of getting caught in the crosshairs of U.S.-China gamesmanship.
Elina Noor
Commentary
Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with China
In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.
Nguyễn Khắc Giang
Commentary
Today’s Rare Earths Conflict Echoes the 1973 Oil Crisis — But It’s Not the Same
Regulation, not embargo, allows Beijing to shape how other countries and firms adapt to its terms.
Alvin Camba
Commentary
How China’s Growth Model Determines Its Climate Performance
Rather than climate ambitions, compatibility with investment and exports is why China supports both green and high-emission technologies.
Mathias Larsen

More Work from Carnegie China

Commentary

When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly Nonpartisan

For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.

Elina Noor

Commentary

ASEAN-China Digital Cooperation: Deeper but Clear-Eyed Engagement

ASEAN needs to determine how to balance perpetuating the benefits of technology cooperation with China while mitigating the risks of getting caught in the crosshairs of U.S.-China gamesmanship.

Elina Noor

Commentary

Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with China

In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.

Nguyễn Khắc Giang

Commentary

Today’s Rare Earths Conflict Echoes the 1973 Oil Crisis — But It’s Not the Same

Regulation, not embargo, allows Beijing to shape how other countries and firms adapt to its terms.

Alvin Camba

Commentary

How China’s Growth Model Determines Its Climate Performance

Rather than climate ambitions, compatibility with investment and exports is why China supports both green and high-emission technologies.

Mathias Larsen