Hezballah, Israel, and Cyber PSYOP
Abstract
Parties on both sides of the recent fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon have used cyber technologies to their advantage. Of course, this is nothing new. Tanks, planes, and soldiers have been uploaded with a host of cyber/information technologies for the past two decades at least. These technologies have increased the precision and lethality of weaponry, the situational awareness of the soldier, and the overall efficiency of operations. However, an evolving cyber phenomenon is underway: the concept of cyber psychological operations (CYOP, pronounced "PSYOP")-which are cyber operations (those that use the computer chip) that aim to directly attack and influence the attitudes and behaviors of soldiers and the general population. While armies continue to compete in digital battlespace, local populations are now caught up in digital influence space battles. As a result armies can no longer stand between an enemy and the public as they once did. CYOP is also awash with unintended consequences, since we are only now starting to understand what degree of influence, persuasion, deception, and mobilization the cyber environment offers. For example, mobile (cell) phones became tools for citizen journalism in Lebanon since they provided people the capability to transmit audio, video and photographs by short message service. Such contributions from "the street" carry their own form of psychological persuasion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA465336
Entities
People
- Timothy L. Thomas