NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Theme : Advancement in Technology
Paper : GS - 3
Theory of Hybrid Warfare :
Hybrid warfare is a theory of military strategy, first proposed by Frank Hoffman, which employs political warfare and blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare, and cyberwarfare with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy, lawfare and foreign electoral intervention.
In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the world seems awash with papers on artificial intelligence (AI) driven military innovations and ‘potential crisis hot zones’, along with stray references to new forms of hybrid warfare.
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Theory of Hybrid Warfare
- Cyber Space & Grey Zone Operations (GZOs)
- Recent Trends in Cyberware
- Distortion of Information & Communication flows
- Road Ahead
Context : Cyber threat is hardly confined to any one domain,Though the military is the one most often touted. Rather, it is the civilian sphere where the cyber threat is becoming more all-pervading today and, in turn, a serious menace.
Theory of Hybrid Warfare :
- Hybrid warfare is a theory of military strategy, first proposed by Frank Hoffman, which employs political warfare and blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare, and cyberwarfare with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy, lawfare and foreign electoral intervention.
- In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the world seems awash with papers on artificial intelligence (AI) driven military innovations and ‘potential crisis hot zones’, along with stray references to new forms of hybrid warfare.
Cyber Space & Grey Zone Operations (GZOs) :
- Cyber space has been described as a “superset of interconnected information and communication technology, hardware, software processes, services, data and systems”.
- GZOs are those operations which fall outside traditional concepts of conflict. GZOs have become the new battleground, especially in cyber warfare, where they are being used to undermine the vitals of a state’s functioning.
- Demands for a cyber command, in line with Integrated Theater Commands (ITCs) by the Indian military ignore the widely varying nature of the cyber threat.
Recent Trends in Cyberware :
- The recent arrest in India, of a Russian for hacking into computers involved in the conduct of examinations for entry into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), is a reflection of how cyber criminals are significantly amplifying their ‘Grey Zone Warfare’ tactics. So ‘Grey Zone Warfare’ is set to become the predominant paradigm for the remainder of the century. This adds urgency to erecting proper defenses against Grey Zone attacks.
Distortion of Information & Communication flows :
- In the case of the Russia-Ukraine war, cyberspace has become an experiment for various players to try and support a weaker nation against a more powerful opponent, through distortion of information and communication flows, which are considered essential to the success or failure of any war strategy.
- While Russia may not publicly admit to the fact that it is hurting, with most global information networks being ranged against it and distorting realities, it has certainly added a new cyber dimension to the ongoing conflict. While its effect on the course of the conflict may not be decisive, the potential for mischief is immense. Additionally, distortion by private players of the concept of the ‘information superhighway’ casts a dark shadow over the entire current systems of belief, providing a great deal of fuel for thought.
Road Ahead :
There shall be implementation of National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) as given by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), for a safe, secure, trusted, resilient, and vibrant cyberspace for India.
FAQs :
1. What is Cyberspace?
Answer : Cyber space has been described as a “superset of interconnected information and communication technology, hardware, software processes, services, data and systems”.
2. What are Grey Zone Operations?
Answer : GZOs are those operations which fall outside traditional concepts of conflict. GZOs have become the new battleground, especially in cyber warfare, where they are being used to undermine the vitals of a state’s functioning.