A Politico survey shows that the majority of citizens in NATO countries believe that cyberattacks on hospitals should be considered acts of war.

A recent survey conducted in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom revealed that the majority of the public opinion in these countries considers cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, as acts of war. Canadians were the most vocal, with 73% supporting this opinion. Respondents also agreed that sabotage of submarine cables should be classified similarly. Despite these perceptions, NATO and national governments have not clearly established the criteria for considering a cyberattack as an act of war. In the past, NATO has mentioned that a foreign cyberattack could trigger the mutual defense clause, but there is no consensus on the severity required for a response. The survey also showed a divergence in the perception of the Russian threat, with the majority of Europeans considering Russia a major threat, while in North America this percentage is significantly lower. In the context of increasing cyberattacks, security officials emphasize the need to integrate cyber capabilities into defense strategies.