1.2 Cyber as part of hybrid warfare

The Munich Security Conference perceived cyberattacks as an important segment of hybrid warfare back in 2015.

On the one hand, this means cyberattacks may, in future, be used in combination with conventional operations. On the other hand, cyberattacks become popular means of weakening the opponents – particularly in ‘peacetime’ (short of the criteria of armed attack in conventional understanding) – due to being able to be customised for particular activities (from espionage to disrupting digital systems without causing physical damage, even to disabling physical industrial facilities, but without casualties), and even more due to deniability (high complexity of attribution).

In addition to conducting cyberattacks, states turn to information warfare using digital platforms. In practice, this often takes the form of disinformation campaigns targeting interference with elections, efforts to combat diseases (as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic), or causing political division and unrest. While the deceptive use of information for hostile purposes has a long history, the internet, and especially social media, allow for near-instant targeting and manipulation of masses at rather low costs. Some countries have already embedded threats from malign influence and information campaigns, propaganda, and disinformation into their national strategies.