When countries go to war, there are international rules and norms with which they must comply, designed to protect critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals from attack. While countries may not always comply with these rules, in general most know certain targets are off limits.
But unlike hospitals, which are protected under the Geneva Convention during wartime, financial infrastructure is not, despite being of great importance for the normal functioning of society. And while the world may not be at war, at least not in the traditional sense, some analysts point to a growing number of cyber attacks seemingly sponsored by nation states, which are threatening infrastructure such as ATMs and financial networks.
