Information warfare

Fighting the Information War

Information has always been part of conflict. Thucydides detailed the effects of messages dispatched during the Peloponnesian War, and "narrative" is frequently cited today as an important part of the war against the Islamic State.

Of the nations that practice information warfare, the most persistent is Russia. In a recent article for the Institute for the Study of War, Maria Snegovaya describes Russia's dexterity at using "reflexive control," which she defines as shaping an adversary's perceptions of a situation so that this adversary proceeds to act in the way Russia wants. Snegovaya adds that disinformation campaigns, a Russian specialty, are "designed to confuse the enemy and achieve strategic advantage at minimal cost."