In 2006, the United States government “crossed the Rubicon” when it carried out a secret offensive cyber operation and spread malware into Iran’s nuclear facility in order to sabotage uranium enrichment.

The move “pushed the world into an entirely new territory,” according to The New York Times journalist David E. Sanger. Soon, the U.S. would learn how quickly and brilliantly others are at wielding the same weapon for their own interests — ushering countries like North Korea into a new, alarming era of chaotic competition.