Cyber Warfare: A Rising Force on the Global Stage
In the 1990s, the concept of soft power was introduced as a "gentle" influence strategy, allowing a nation to extend its international reach through non-coercive tools, such as culture, rather than through military or economic power [1]. This concept, introduced by American political scientist Joseph Nye, has since evolved. In 2010, Nye expanded on his original idea by introducing the concept of cyber power, which he defines as “a set of resources tied to the creation, control, and communication of electronic and computer-based information, encompassing infrastructure, networks, software, or human expertise”.
Cyber power has disrupted geopolitical balance by redefining global power dynamics. Amaël Cattaruzza, President of the French National Geography Committee, likens this transformation to a shock as profound as the industrial revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries. This shift has led to a redistribution of power among actors: Nye points out that "low entry costs, anonymity, and asymmetrical vulnerabilities" [2] enable new actors from civil society to compete with traditional state powers that once dominated the international stage. Tech giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple (GAFA), along with their Chinese counterparts Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi (BATX), and other digital behemoths like Uber or Booking, are challenging established social hierarchies, contributing to an erosion of governmental influence [3]. Instead of losing power, this evolution prompts states to adapt their strategies to fit into this new digital ecosystem.
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