scholarly journals Non-State Actors in Cyberspace Operations

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Sigholm

Abstract The growing importance of cyberspace to modern society, and its increasing use as an arena for dispute, is becoming a national security concern for governments and armed forces globally. The special characteristics of cyberspace, such as its asymmetric nature, the lack of attribution, the low cost of entry, the legal ambiguity, and its role as an efficient medium for protest, crime, espionage and military aggression, makes it an attractive domain for nation-states as well as non-state actors in cyber conflict. This paper studies the various non-state actors who coexist in cyberspace, examines their motives and incitements, and analyzes how and when their objectives coincide with those of nation-states. Literature suggests that many nations are currently pursuing cyberwarfare capabilities, oftentimes by leveraging criminal organizations and irregular forces. Employment of such non-state actors as hacktivists, patriot hackers, and cybermilitia in state-on-state cyberspace operations has also proved to be a usable model for conducting cyberattacks. The paper concludes that cyberspace is emerging as a new tool for state power that will likely reshape future warfare. However, due to the lack of concrete cyberwarfare experience, and the limited encounters of legitimate cyberattacks, it is hard to precisely assess future effects, risks and potentials.

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Ekmekci

The conventional approach in the discipline of International Relations is to treat terrorist organizations as "non-state" actors of international relations. However, this approach is problematic due to the fact that most terrorist organizations are backed or exploited by some states. In this article, I take issue with the non-stateness of terrorist organizations and seek to answer the question of why so many states, at times, support terrorist organizations. I argue that in the face of rising threats to national security in an age of devastating wars, modern nation states tend to provide support to foreign terrorist organizations that work against their present and imminent enemies. I elaborate on my argument studying three cases of state support for terrorism: Iranian support for Hamas, Syrian support for the PKK, and American support for the MEK. The analyses suggest that, for many states, terror is nothing but war by other means.


1979 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-273
Author(s):  
G. D. Deshingkar

In Asia, the arms race began with the emergence of modern nation-states. Their new ruling elites adopted the concepts of ‘national security’ and ‘national interests’ and proceeded to build up their armed forces to meet mythical permanent threats, to the neglect of real threats to Asian societies such as hunger, natural calamities and cultural decay. With the great powers themselves engaged in a global arms race, taking advantage of the Asian elites' preoccupation with ‘national security’, the race in Asia has become a part of the global arms race with China as the latest - but somewhat restrained - entrant. The paper, however, notes a reverse historical trend under way: the European nation-state model being increasingly found unworkable in Asia (leading to a search for structures suitable to the complex Asian societies) and Asian states trying to opt out of global rivalries. This favourable trend, which promises to wind down the arms race in Asia, must, the paper concludes, be actively pushed forward by concerned citizens of Asian countries who form the Third System in Asia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 389-398
Author(s):  
Georgiana-Cătălina CHIȚAC

Abstract: Nowadays, the modern security environment has it foundation based on some vital pilons, that are also important for the normal functionality of the modern society. This paper will offer a new perspective on critical infrastructure protection, defining the relationships that take place freely in a modern society. The international security could be analyzed from functional (systemic) and structural points of view. From the systemic point of view, the global security is characterized by five major systems: political, economic, social (socio-demographic), cultural and ecological. From the structural point of view, besides the above systems there are other ones: military, intelligence, communications and infrastructure (the critical infrastructure, health, financial, culture, education and research). There are certain infrastructures such as: telecommunications, transports, systems of power or water supply, IT systems, diverse systems and emergency services, that are actually fundamental to a prosperous economy and therefore critical to the development of human society. Telecommunications, power systems and transport infrastructures are essential infrastructures that ensure not only the mobility, but also the adequate performance of the armed forces, which is one more reason for which these infrastructures are critical. The degree of development and resilience of national and European critical infrastructures is essential for the economic growth and for ensuring the security and welfare of society on the whole. Therefore, the modern national security, seen as a system or a structure, has been passing through a reform and modernization process in order to adapt to the challenges of the 21st Century and the requirements triggered by North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union memberships, and not only. In this context there is a need for some security politics and strategy which could increase the national security condition.


Author(s):  
NINA RADUHA ◽  
PAVEL VUK

Povzetek Varnost danes ni ogrožena le zaradi oboroženih konfliktov, temveč predvsem in vedno pogosteje zaradi kompleksnih kriz. Učinkovit odziv nanje zahteva od nacionalnovarnostnega sistema stalno prilagajanje in pripravljenost na nepredvidljivost varnostnih razmer s prožno strukturo, razvito koordinacijo in z zmogljivostmi, sposobnimi ukrepanja na podlagi sistemskih in jasnih pravil na področju kriznega upravljanja. Prispevek osvetljuje pomen kriznega upravljanja v sodobni družbi s poudarkom na obrambnem področju, na katerem na podlagi teoretičnih in praktičnih spoznanj daje predloge, ki bi lahko bili za Slovensko vojsko kakovosten izhodiščni okvir za razpravo pri oblikovanju nujnih odgovorov na sodobne izzive kriznega upravljanja. Slovenija, njen nacionalnovarnostni sistem kot tudi vse njegove sestavine, vključno s Slovensko vojsko, si ne smejo in ne morejo dovoliti, da krizo pričakajo nepripravljeni ter brez vnaprej izoblikovanega in delujočega celovitega koncepta na področju kriznega upravljanja. Ključne besede: kriza, krizno upravljanje, krizno odzivanje, vaje kriznega upravljanja. Abstract Today, security is not threatened only because of armed conflicts, but mostly and increasingly because of the complexity of crises. An effective response to those crises requires the national security system to constantly adapt and remain ready for the unpredictable nature of the security situation. This can be achieved with a flexible structure, well-developed coordination and capabilities apt to react on the basis of clear and system rules in the field of crisis management. The article highlights the importance of crisis management in the modern society with the emphasis on the field of defence. It provides theory- and practice-based suggestions, which could serve as a quality frame of reference for a discussion in the process of preparing crucial responses to the contemporary challenges of crisis management. Slovenia, its national security system along with its components, including the Slovenian Armed Forces, cannot and should not presume to enter a crisis unprepared and without a pre-framed, effective and comprehensive crisis-management concept. Key words: Crisis, crisis management, crisis response, crisis management exercises.


Author(s):  
Flavia Zappa Leccisotti ◽  
Raoul Chiesa ◽  
Niccolo De Scalzi ◽  
Leopoldo Gudas ◽  
Daniele De Nicolo

The ICT technology is even more central in modern society. Every relevant sectors of Western economies depend on ICT technology, from Energy Infrastructure to banking and finance, from TLC infrastructure to government administration. Throughout history, terrorist organizations have demonstrated capacity to adapt and evolve in order to further their ideological and political goals. Cyber Terrorism is increasingly becoming a top five national security priority for Nation States. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the threat Cyber Terrorism poses to the stability of the international community. It will explore the concept of Cyber Terrorism, its interpretations and terminology. This chapter seeks to identify potential attacks made possible through IT and ICT technologies (like SCADA and Industrial Automation, while it includes those ICT standards used in the field of Transport, Automotive, and Social Networks as well) and to classify all the possible actors, needed skills and relevant goals, thanks to the currently available public documentation and relevant case studies.


2016 ◽  
pp. 493-520
Author(s):  
Flavia Zappa Leccisotti ◽  
Raoul Chiesa ◽  
Niccolo De Scalzi ◽  
Leopoldo Gudas ◽  
Daniele De Nicolo

The ICT technology is even more central in modern society. Every relevant sectors of Western economies depend on ICT technology, from Energy Infrastructure to banking and finance, from TLC infrastructure to government administration. Throughout history, terrorist organizations have demonstrated capacity to adapt and evolve in order to further their ideological and political goals. Cyber Terrorism is increasingly becoming a top five national security priority for Nation States. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the threat Cyber Terrorism poses to the stability of the international community. It will explore the concept of Cyber Terrorism, its interpretations and terminology. This chapter seeks to identify potential attacks made possible through IT and ICT technologies (like SCADA and Industrial Automation, while it includes those ICT standards used in the field of Transport, Automotive, and Social Networks as well) and to classify all the possible actors, needed skills and relevant goals, thanks to the currently available public documentation and relevant case studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 111-119
Author(s):  
Yu.Yu. IERUSALIMSKY ◽  
◽  
A.B. RUDAKOV ◽  

The article is devoted to the study of such an important aspect of the activities of the World Russian People's Council (until 1995 it was called the World Russian Council) in the 90-s of the 20-th century as a discussion of national security issues and nuclear disarmament. At that time, a number of political and public figures actively called for the nuclear disarmament of Russia. Founded in 1993, the World Russian Council called for the Russian Federation to maintain a reasonable balance between reducing the arms race and fighting for the resumption of detente in international relations, on the one hand, and maintaining a powerful nuclear component of the armed forces of the country, on the other. The resolutions of the World Russian Council and the World Russian People's Council on the problems of the new concepts formation of foreign policy and national security of Russia in the context of NATO's eastward movement are analyzed in the article. It also shows the relationship between the provisions of the WRNS on security and nuclear weapons issues with Chapter VIII of the «Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church».


The armed forces of Europe have undergone a dramatic transformation since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Handbook of European Defence Policies and Armed Forces provides the first comprehensive analysis of national security and defence policies, strategies, doctrines, capabilities, and military operations, as well as the alliances and partnerships of European armed forces in response to the security challenges Europe has faced since the end of the cold war. A truly cross-European comparison of the evolution of national defence policies and armed forces remains a notable blind spot in the existing literature. This Handbook aims to fill this gap with fifty-one contributions on European defence and international security from around the world. The six parts focus on: country-based assessments of the evolution of the national defence policies of Europe’s major, medium, and lesser powers since the end of the cold war; the alliances and security partnerships developed by European states to cooperate in the provision of national security; the security challenges faced by European states and their armed forces, ranging from interstate through intra-state and transnational; the national security strategies and doctrines developed in response to these challenges; the military capabilities, and the underlying defence and technological industrial base, brought to bear to support national strategies and doctrines; and, finally, the national or multilateral military operations by European armed forces. The contributions to The Handbook collectively demonstrate the fruitfulness of giving analytical precedence back to the comparative study of national defence policies and armed forces across Europe.


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