Cyber in hybrid warfare

By: Kevin Coleman, Independent Software, 

October 19, 2016

Modern war games provide a glimpse into the complex subject matter of the current and future state of conflict. The term used for the latest style of conflict is "hybrid warfare." That term can be traced back as early as 2005. While it has been around for more than 15 years, the level of discussion currently taking place appears to be far greater than anything we have previously seen. Is this the true face of modern conflict? An increasing number of scholars and military leaders are saying yes.

Hybrid warfare is a relatively new term for the military strategy that takes an integrated approach to warfare. It combines conventional warfare, irregular warfare and cyberwarfare capabilities, focusing them on the objectives of a military campaign. Previously, this type of conflict was considered nonlinear, unconventional warfare. It should be noted that this term is frequently applied to the ongoing efforts by Russia against their targets.

Recently, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said hybrid warfare is being waged against the whole Western world while speaking before the United Nations.

This topic is increasingly being discussed in the media and presumably behind closed doors. Cyber has a prominent role in hybrid warfare alongside information warfare and counterintelligence and disinformation components. Thus, immediate action is necessary to ensure the West’s dominance in hybrid warfare. There are those that have said they believe World War III will be a hybrid war. Some have questioned if the United States and the West in general are ready and willing to engage in this type of warfare; while others have gone as far as to say the U.S. is not ready for this huge, evolutionary step in modern conflict.

If true, these two assertions do not paint a very promising picture of our current abilities to address this growing aspect of modern conflict. Clearly, we need a new, innovative hybrid warfare platform upon which our unique capabilities can be easily integrated if we are to address this growing threat.

To find out more on this subject, I recommend reading " Hybrid war – does it even exist?" on NATO's website. 

http://www.c4isrnet.com/articles/cyber-hybrid-warfare