Re-integrating Influence and Cyber Operations

Abstract

The art of influence operations as a subset to information operations as well as personnel that practice influence operations for the military have been doctrinally removed from conducting cyber operations. With the openness that the military has created to social networking as a tool for soldiers, the fact that many of the greatest cyber espionage tactics involve a form of influence operations tactic, often in the form of social engineering, to gain, maintain and exploit networks. Continued ignorance in this subject area will lead to exploitable vulnerabilities as well as reduce the military capability to utilize potential attack vectors. This research presents the reasons behind the separation, and a methodology for getting the two independent operational capabilities to re-integrate, and justifies this as the first step towards a