The information revolution Flashcards
(31 cards)
Information Revolution
The transformation of international affairs due to the rise of digital technologies, including internet, social media, and artificial intelligence, reshaping diplomacy, warfare, and state sovereignty.
Cyber Attack vs Cyber Exploitation
Cyber attacks involve overt disruption or destruction (e.g. Stuxnet), while cyber exploitation involves covert surveillance, espionage, or data theft (e.g. PRISM).
Stuxnet Example
A U.S.-Israeli cyberweapon used to sabotage Iranian nuclear facilities by damaging centrifuges—first known offensive cyberattack to cause physical damage.
Joseph Nye on Cyber Power
In the global information age, both soft power (influence) and hard power (coercion) intersect—cyberspace requires smart power strategies.
Sovereignty in Cyberspace
Digital networks bypass physical borders, challenging traditional state sovereignty and allowing remote intervention in domestic affairs.
Anonymity in Cyber Conflict
Attribution is difficult—states can deny involvement, enabling covert escalation and strategic ambiguity (e.g. Russia’s use of proxies).
Asymmetry of Cyber Conflict
Weaker states or non-state actors can harm powerful states using cheap, high-impact cyber tools—e.g. North Korea’s Sony hack.
Strategic Communication via Social Media
States and actors use platforms like Twitter, TikTok to shape global narratives—seen in Ukraine’s real-time PR war.
Disinformation Campaigns
Systematic efforts to spread falsehoods to confuse, divide, or manipulate public opinion—e.g. Russian interference in US elections (2016).
Cyber Espionage
The theft of sensitive political, military, or commercial information—e.g. China’s alleged IP theft from U.S. firms.
Cyber Deterrence Challenge
Traditional deterrence models struggle in cyberspace due to attribution problems, low barriers to entry, and difficulty proving retaliation.
Soft Power in Digital Age
States use culture, values, and information flow to attract and influence others—now amplified by global connectivity and platforms.
Digital Diplomacy
Foreign policy conducted via digital tools and platforms, e.g. online negotiations, embassy tweets, and cyber norms discussions.
Eriksson & Giacomello (2006)
Cyber challenges realism and liberalism: IR theory must adapt to non-territorial, anonymous, and fluid digital environments.
Kello (2013) on Cyber Revolution
Warns of theoretical lag—cyber threats are unprecedented in scale and ambiguity, yet under-theorised in IR.
Post-Snowden Paradigm Shift
Revealed the extent of US surveillance, eroding soft power and sparking global debates on privacy, legitimacy, and digital imperialism.
Public-Private Cybersecurity
Governments depend on tech firms (e.g. Microsoft, Amazon) to protect infrastructure, making them key actors in IR.
AI and Strategic Affairs (Payne, 2018)
AI revolutionizes decision-making in war and diplomacy—autonomous weapons, predictive analytics, and escalation risks are growing.
Cybersecurity and International Law
Few binding rules govern cyber conflict—norms are emerging, but enforcement and consensus are weak.
Information Terrain as Battlespace
Control of digital narratives (memes, hashtags, news cycles) can shape legitimacy and public support in wartime.
Russia’s Cyber Strategy (Sohl, 2022)
Uses cyber to destabilize adversaries, including discrediting democratic institutions and conducting psychological warfare.
Ukraine Cyber Defence (2022)
Ukraine used tech partnerships (e.g. with Starlink) and public messaging to counter Russian attacks and gain global support.
Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Demonstrated how data analytics and microtargeting can influence elections—blurring lines between psywar and political consultancy.
AI-Enabled Disinformation
Deepfakes and AI-generated media increase speed, scale, and believability of false information in international discourse.
