Russian Cyber Information Warfare: International Distribution and Domestic Control

Abstract

Cyber information warfare (IW) is a double-edged sword. States use IW to shape the hearts and minds of foreign societies and policy makers. However, states are also prone to foreign influence through IW. This assumption applies mainly to liberal democratic societies. The question examined in this article is how Russia uses IW on other countries but protects itself from the same activities. The authors’ main argument is that while Russia executes influence operations and IW in cyberspace, it strives for uncompromising control over its domestic cyberspace, thus restricting undesirable informational influence over its population.

Misinformed: Implications of Foreign Influence on the Information Environment that Launched Operation Iraqi Freedom

“…15 Established in 2001, The Journal of Information Warfare has been an authority on the subject, but as the USC study indicates, cybersecurity and social media research have cast a long shadow over the study of information operations. 16 This places the more exquisite aspects of high-profile misinformation by human proxy into a somewhat niche category, considering that many post-Iraq War studies focused on internal U.S. government failure as opposed to the process of its exploitation by external forces. 17 Few have explored how and why disinformation played a role in molding policy through trusted sources because it undercuts the very elixir that so many prescribe for combating disinformation-that is, putting faith in certain information sources or individuals who can "spot" inaccuracies.…”

Sovereignty, Cyberspace, and the Emergence of Internet Bubbles

“…33 The efforts on the part of the technological aspect are aimed to regulate outside sources, while those on the part of the psychological aspect are aimed to discourage Russian citizens from criticizing the authorities and cooperating with outside forces. 34 In the context of the Russian "special military operation" in Ukraine, the abovementioned restriction of domestic information and media and the influence campaigns on foreign audiences allow Russia to implement sharp power. While leaks, anonymous communications, and rogue media allow Russian citizens a glance at the outside world, mass media is generally protected against unwanted information about the conflict in Ukraine and thus antigovernmental sentiments are limited.…”