If the Third World War happens, it can become a confrontation between viruses - biological and computer. The initiators of the "fighting" will be Russia and China. This assumption was made by the experts of the newspaper The Wall Street Journal.
The publication believes that before the start of a virus attack, the aggressor country must vaccinate its own population. In this case, the virus must be released in the target state - this will ensure the success of the strike.
At the same time, the information infrastructure that will be attacked by computer viruses can become an object. The attacking side will try to disavow itself by carrying out a "false flag" operation. The absence of real hostilities will give the impression of the absence of war.
The WSJ believes that it will be difficult for the US to give an adequate answer if such a scenario is realized. The use of nuclear weapons would be an inadequate measure, and anti-viral measures would take a long time. To prepare for such events, it is necessary to develop the necessary vaccines and tighten the protection of cyberspace.
At the same time, American elites must realize that the country can be defeated without open aggression from adversaries. Such a war can only be prevented by convincing the potential attackers of the impossibility of success, as well as the inevitability of consequences for the aggressors. Washington must also make it clear to its allies that it is capable of fulfilling its obligations to them.