War has always targeted infrastructure. Data centers are no exception

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This OpEd was originally published in S.C. Media.

March 2026

Author: Cory Simpson, CEO, ICIT

War has always targeted infrastructure. In conflict, the systems that sustain an adversary's ability to operate are identified and acted upon. In a digitally dependent society, data centers sit at the center of those systems. As the cybersecurity community gathers this week for the RSA Conference, the systems that support our digital world warrant closer attention.

As a digitally dependent society, the United States relies on interconnected digital infrastructure for nearly every aspect of daily life, economic activity, and governance — a level of dependence that defines vulnerability. These systems support how we communicate, move resources, manage energy, and coordinate at scale. They also concentrate capability in ways that shape how they are viewed in conflict.

War predates recorded history. Long before it was documented, humans organized, competed, and fought over resources, territory, and survival. One pattern endures: Conflict centers on what sustains the enemy — food, water, movement, and coordination. As societies grow more complex, the systems that support them become central to how wars are fought.

Infrastructure is core to this pattern. Roads move goods and forces, water sustains populations, and trade routes connect economies. These systems shape how wars are fought and how outcomes are determined.

War follows infrastructure

History reflects this pattern. Early campaigns focused on controlling land, food, and water. As societies expanded, cities and trade routes became key targets, with campaigns aimed at dominating the systems that sustained populations and movement.

This logic appears across eras. Alexander the Great secured long-distance supply routes. Genghis Khan targeted systems that sustained entire regions. Napoleon relied on movement, logistics, and access to resources to determine success.

As societies advanced, infrastructure became more centralized and decisive. Trade routes linked economies, cities grew into industrial hubs, and railways enabled the quick movement of troops and supplies. Ports and power systems supported global trade, industry, and communication, enhancing national strength.

The First and Second World Wars marked a change in scale. Industrial production, transportation systems, and logistics supported ongoing global conflict. Infrastructure linked factories, supply chains, and operations across theaters, shaping the pace and scope of war.

Across time, the pattern holds: Infrastructure underpins capability, and capability drives outcomes. In a digitally connected world driven by global supply chains, the next step comes naturally.

Capability determines what gets hit

War focuses on capability. The objective is to shape an adversary's ability to operate, sustain itself, and project power. That focus drives how targets are selected.

Over time, the conduct of war has come to reflect a set of consistent principles. Distinction separates military objectives from civilian persons and objects. Proportionality balances expected military gains with potential harm. Military necessity connects actions to a clear operational purpose. Humanity limits how force can be used. These principles guide the use of force while reflecting the realities of conflict.

Within this framework, what a system does determines how it is treated. Systems that support movement, communication, energy, and coordination contribute directly to how a nation operates. When those systems provide operational or strategic advantage, they become part of how war is conducted.

These principles do not place infrastructure outside the scope of conflict. They require that it be evaluated based on the role it plays in supporting capability and the effects of its disruption.

Targets are assessed by their importance, accessibility, and the potential impact of their disruption. Systems that are difficult to replace, easy to identify, and capable of producing outsized impact draw attention. Roads move forces and supplies. Power sustains industry and communication. Networks connect leadership and operations.

This dynamic has remained consistent across time. Infrastructure that sustains a society also sustains its ability to operate in conflict. That relationship places infrastructure at the center of planning and execution.

War follows this logic. Capability drives targeting decisions, and infrastructure sits at the core of that capability.

Modern infrastructure is digital

Digital infrastructure now underpins how societies function, communicate, and compete. Data centers sit at the center of this system, enabling communications, financial transactions, logistics, energy management, and the daily operations of government and business. They connect decision-makers, support operations, and sustain the flow of information across sectors and borders.

This system goes beyond any single facility. Cloud platforms distribute data and applications across regions. Undersea cables carry most of the world's communications. Power systems sustain computing at scale. Supply chains provide the hardware and materials that make it all possible. Together, these elements form the infrastructure of the digital age.

These systems support daily life and national capability at the same time. Economic activity, public services, and national security all rely on their performance and availability. That dependence places digital infrastructure within the same framework that has shaped conflict across history.

The United States operates at the center of this system. Its economy, governance, and daily life rely on interconnected digital infrastructure at an unmatched scale. That scale creates strength and defines exposure. The physical systems that support digital capability — data centers, energy, connectivity, and supply chains — determine resilience under pressure.

The structure of this infrastructure shapes that resilience. Consolidation and large-scale cloud adoption have provided efficiency, speed, and global reach. They have also concentrated critical systems. Distribution offers an alternative approach. Multi-cloud environments, geographic dispersion, and deliberate redundancy support continuity and recovery in the event of disruption. Resilience results from design choices that consider disruption as part of normal operations.

Digital infrastructure now plays the role that railways, ports, and power systems once held. It supports capability at scale and shapes how nations operate in peace and in conflict.

The logic of war has not changed

War has always targeted the systems that sustain an adversary. That pattern holds as infrastructure evolves. In a digitally dependent society, digital infrastructure now underpins how nations function and project power, placing it within the same framework that has shaped conflict across history.

Recent commentary treats the targeting of digital infrastructure as a shift. In fact, it reflects continuity. Systems that sustain capability have always drawn attention in conflict. Data centers, cloud platforms, and the networks that connect them now carry that role.

The United States is at the heart of this reality. Our economy, governance, and daily life rely on interconnected digital systems at an unmatched scale. This reliance simultaneously brings strength and exposes vulnerabilities. The physical systems that support digital capabilities, such as data centers, energy, connectivity, and supply chains, are crucial for maintaining resilience under pressure.

Preparation follows recognition. Digital infrastructure requires the same protection and resilience as other critical infrastructure. Hardening, redundancy, and continuity planning matter. Distributed architectures, multi-cloud environments, and geographic dispersion support continuity when systems are disrupted.

These systems now carry national capability. The form has changed, but the logic has not. Preparation determines how they perform when tested.

Cory Simpson

Cory Simpson is a national security and cybersecurity executive with more than two decades of experience across government, elite military organizations, and the private sector. He leads DC-based organizations that bridge policy and technology, often advising companies across the tech ecosystem—including competitors—to advance modernization, strengthen security, and serve the American people.

About ICIT

The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society. Learn more at www.icitech.org.