Russia's Information Warfare Techniques

LITERATURE REVIEW – INFORMATIONAL WARFARE
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Literature Review – Information Warfare
Background
The ultimate aim of information warfare is to apply information weapons to manipulate and impact the knowledge as well as belief systems of the adversary. Knowledge and belief systems are facets of every human decision-making system and can therefore be used to influence adversary decisions and actions. At the strategic level, the objective of information warfare is to manipulate both adversary choices and behavior to support the aggressor’s intentions without their awareness. Conversely, successful information warfare at the operation level is intended to adversely affect the adversary’s capacity to form decisions promptly and effectively. On the whole, the overall goal of information warfare is to harmonize efforts at manipulating and confounding the adversary’s decision-making process in order to result in actions that steadily advance the aims of the aggressor. Information warfare is a rapidly developing subset of warfare for defense strategists and policymakers, particularly given the swift evolution of microcomputers, cyberspace, and other related information technologies. A majority of countries are moving rapidly to capitalize on the growing information groundwork and related technologies to support tactical military advantages.[Hans Klein, “Information Warfare and Information Operations: Russian and U.S. Perspectives,” JIA SIPA, September 25, 2018, https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/information-warfare-and-information-operations-russian-and-us-perspectives.]
At the same time, countries are examining their potential cyberspace weaknesses and how the rapid information revolution threatens traditional military operations. Russia has been particularly successful in employing information warfare to manipulate its enemy’s pre-existing dispositions to align with its intended course of action. The country has for a long time been known to apply an advanced form of hybrid warfare known as “reflexive control,” where it shapes its adversary’s understanding of the situation and decision-making process to choose those actions that are most profitable to its objectives. Moscow has used this technique capably to persuade America and its allies to remain mostly passive as it advances its geopolitical interests across the globe, including its ongoing efforts at dismantling Ukraine. While Russia’s “reflexive control” information warfare technique is not a novel strategy and is largely founded on the body of Soviet work developed decades ago, the West has been slow in building necessary structures and capabilities to counter Kremlin’s nonmilitary aggression. This literature review will explore existing evidence (qualitative data) on past confrontations between Russia and other states, with a particular focus on the USA and Ukraine.[Joe Cheravitch, “What Translation Troubles Can Tell Us about Russian Information Warfare,” , October 4, 2019, /blog/2019/10/what-translation-troubles-can-tell-us-about-russian.html.] [Max Boot, “Why the U.S. Ramped up Its Information War with Russia,” Counci...