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 Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Emissary
The Diverging U.S. and Israeli Goals in Iran Are Making the Endgame Even Murkier
The cracks between Trump and Netanyahu have become more pronounced, particularly over energy and leadership targets.
Eric Lob
Commentary
Emissary
How the Hormuz Closure Is Testing the Korean President’s Progressive Agenda
The crisis is not just a story of energy vulnerability. It’s also a complex, high-stakes political challenge.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares
Commentary
Diwan
What Does the Strait of Hormuz’s Closure Mean?
In an interview, Roger Diwan discusses where the global economy may be going in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Nur Arafeh
Article
Takaichi’s Security Agenda After the Landslide Election
Backed by a new LDP supermajority, Prime Minister Takaichi aspires to revise Japan’s long-standing security doctrine. Ahead of her visit to Washington, she faces fiscal hurdles for her proposed defense spending while needing to navigate President Trump’s request for naval assets to the Strait of Hormuz.
Harukata Takenaka
Commentary
Is the Radical-Right Threat Existential or Overstated?
Amid increased polarization and the influence of disinformation, radical-right parties are once again gaining traction across Europe. With landmark elections on the horizon in several countries, are the EU’s geostrategic vision and fundamental values under existential threat?
Catherine Fieschi, Cas Mudde

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary

Emissary

The Diverging U.S. and Israeli Goals in Iran Are Making the Endgame Even Murkier

The cracks between Trump and Netanyahu have become more pronounced, particularly over energy and leadership targets.

Eric Lob

Commentary

Emissary

How the Hormuz Closure Is Testing the Korean President’s Progressive Agenda

The crisis is not just a story of energy vulnerability. It’s also a complex, high-stakes political challenge.

Darcie Draudt-Véjares

Commentary

Diwan

What Does the Strait of Hormuz’s Closure Mean?

In an interview, Roger Diwan discusses where the global economy may be going in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Nur Arafeh

apan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) reacts as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of US Navy personnel on board the US Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the US naval base in Yokosuka on October 28, 2025.

Article

Takaichi’s Security Agenda After the Landslide Election

Backed by a new LDP supermajority, Prime Minister Takaichi aspires to revise Japan’s long-standing security doctrine. Ahead of her visit to Washington, she faces fiscal hurdles for her proposed defense spending while needing to navigate President Trump’s request for naval assets to the Strait of Hormuz.

Harukata Takenaka

Commentary

Is the Radical-Right Threat Existential or Overstated?

Amid increased polarization and the influence of disinformation, radical-right parties are once again gaining traction across Europe. With landmark elections on the horizon in several countries, are the EU’s geostrategic vision and fundamental values under existential threat?

Catherine Fieschi, Cas Mudde