NATO defines information warfare as an operation conducted in order to gain an information advantage over the opponent.
The definition of information warfare by the US Defense Information Systems Agency takes it a step further: actions taken to achieve information superiority in support of national military strategy by affecting adversary information and information systems while leveraging and protecting our information and information systems.
Information warfare can be divided into three general categories:
- Offensive—Deny, corrupt, destroy, or exploit an adversary’s information, or influence the adversary’s perception.
- Defensive—Safeguard ourselves and allies from similar actions (also known as information warfare hardening).
- Exploitative—Exploit available information in a timely fashion to enhance our decision/action cycle and disrupt the adversary’s cycle.
In addition, the military views information warfare to include surveillance systems, precision strike, and advanced battlefield management.
Interestingly, much has been made about the importance of cybersecurity in protecting everything from financial institutions and power plants to U.S. satellites.
However, many security professionals believe an information warfare attack can have similarly disastrous results if not dealt with effectively. The 2016 U.S. presidential elections is often used as an example of how information warfare can influence an outcome with a domino effect aftermath.
Cyber-attacks and related cyber warfare typically involve a nation-state perpetrating cyber-attacks on another, but in some cases, the attacks are carried out by terrorist organizations or non-state actors seeking to further the goal of a hostile nation.
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