INFORMATION OPERATIONS
Cyber Operations Episode IV: Role of the Armed Forces
This is the final episode of a four-part webinar series on capability development for cyberspace operations by the Indian Armed Forces, held under the aegis of Current and Strategic Affairs Forum (CASA) and moderated by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar. The first three episodes surveyed existing cyberspace strategies and organizations; brainstormed the important issue of how to strike the right balance among the charters of major actors involved in defence of national cyberspace, namely, MOD/ armed forces, MEA/ external intelligence agencies, MHA and the private sector; and addressed the important facet of capability development for conducting cyber influence operations (CIO). This episode discusses the differences and overlaps between cyber operations as part of grey zone warfare and those carried out in support of military operations (MDO), and brainstorms as well as makes recommendations for the role of the Armed Forces in cyberspace operations (offensive as well as CIO), providing different perspectives from the three Services of the Indian Armed Forces.
Cyber Operations Episode III: Cyber Influence Operations
This is the third of a four-part webinar series on capability development for cyberspace operations by the Indian Armed Forces, held under the aegis of Current and Strategic Affairs Forum (CASA) and moderated by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar. The first two episodes surveyed existing cyberspace strategies and organizations and brainstormed the important issue of how to strike the right balance among the charters of major actors involved in defence of national cyberspace, namely, MOD/ armed forces, MEA/ external intelligence agencies, MHA and the private sector. This episode tackles another important facet of cyberspace conflicts, namely, cognitive operations. It discusses the specialized nature of cyber influence operations which may be conducted through social/ broadcast media, and brainstorms/ recommends strategies and structures to be evolved at the national level for developing capabilities to conduct cyber operations in the cognitive realm
Cyberspace Operations Episode II: Governance of India’s National Cyberspace
This is the second of a four-part webinar series on capability development for cyberspace operations by the Indian Armed Forces, held under the aegis of Current and Strategic Affairs Forum (CASA) and moderated by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar. This first episode surveyed existing cyberspace strategies and organizations. This episode brainstorms the important issue of how to strike the right balance among the charters of major actors involved in defence of national cyberspace, namely, MOD/ armed forces, MEA/ external intelligence agencies, MHA and the private sector. It deliberates upon a fresh approach wherein the MOD/ Armed Forces are envisaged to play a pivotal role in the defence of national cyberspace, with perhaps exclusive charter for offensive cyber operations, in sync with their role in the traditional domains of land, sea and air. Panelists provide different perspectives on how India’s cyber defence architecture must be structured to optimally defend its cyberspace.
Cyberspace Operations Episode I: Strategies and Structures of Major States
This is the first of a four-part webinar series on capability development for cyberspace operations by the Indian Armed Forces, held under the aegis of Current and Strategic Affairs Forum (CASA) and moderated by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar. The overall objective of this series is to review cyberspace strategies and capabilities of major world powers, compare these with the status of these in India, and give suitable recommendations. While the full spectrum of cyber operations is very wide, the series is structured to focus primarily on offensive cyber operations and cyber influence operations.
This first episode aims to survey existing cyberspace strategies and organizations. Subsequent episodes will delve deeper into what India needs to do to improve its posture in cyberspace. A brief overview is first given about the increasingly potent and strategic effects being achieved through cyberspace by various players, the applicability of existing international law of war, specifically jus ad bellum, in cyberspace, and also touch upon global trends in cyberspace strategies and capabilities. Thereafter, the panelists provide greater insights into the strategies and organizations of major global powers on the one hand and of India on the other, and give out views and recommendations on how India might improve its posture in cyberspace.
Unkraine Conflict: Fascinating Operations in Cyberspace
In this episode of Def Talks on YouTube, Aadi Achint analyses with Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar the degree of effectiveness of Russian cyberspace operations assessed so far in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The conversation first sets up the backdrop by listing out the different facets of conflicts in cyberspace. Thereafter, in an attempt to understand why the world was expecting crippling attacks by Russia through cyberspace in this conflict, an overview is given about Russia’s cyber organisations and its offensive cyberspace capabilities demonstrated globally over the years. Next, noteworthy cyberattacks carried by Russia against Ukraine since 2013 are listed, before detailing the cyber effects known to have been achieved by Russia so far in the ongoing conflict. The stiff resistance put up by Ukraine, by setting up an ad hoc IT Army with support from across the globe, is then discussed. Narrative wars over the broadcast and social media platforms are also touched upon. The discussion wraps up with an attempt to analyze the reasons why Russian cyberattacks in this conflict do not appear to have been as effective as expected, with the caveat that the full picture would be clear only once the fog of cyberwar is lifted.
Information Operations in the Indian Context
In this episode of Def Talks on YouTube, Aadi Achint talks to Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar on how Information Operations (IO) may be used as a potent means by a nation for conducting Grey Zone Warfare (GZW) against its adversaries. The conversation highlights that for a nation to conduct GZW, it needs to leverage its Comprehensive National Power (CNP), which is quite well and concisely represented by the Diplomatic-Information-Military-Economic (DIME) paradigm. It discusses certain conceptual underpinnings and definitional nuances of IO, and how these relate to the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and the DIME paradigms. It then touches upon several key facets which need to be addressed for operationalizing the three primary components of IO, namely, electronic warfare (EW), cyber and psychological/ cognitive operations. It also briefly discusses the concepts of Cyber Electro-Magnetic Activities (CEMA) and Cyber Influence Operations (CIO). The conversation concludes by dwelling upon the critical issue of defence of our national cyberspace, and indicating a way forward for our Indian Armed Forces for effectively countering the attacks in infospace which are constantly being launched against India by its adversaries.
Grey Zone Operations in the Infospace Dimension: Imperatives for India
This is the script of an address given on the topic “Information Operations in the Indian Context” given at the Military College of Telecommunications Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, India on 01 Oct 2021. The address was part of a seminar on “Electromagnetic Spectrum and National Security” held on the occasion of MCTE’s Platinum Jubilee Raising Day. The talk commences by discussing certain conceptual underpinnings and definitional nuances of Information Operations (IO), and how these relate to the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and the Diplomatic-Information-Military-Economic (DIME) paradigms. It then highlights several key facets which need to be addressed for operationalizing the three primary functions of IO, namely, electronic warfare (EW), cyber and psychological/ cognitive operations. It also briefly discusses the concepts of Cyber Electro-Magnetic Activities (CEMA) and Cyber Influence Operations (CIO). Finally, the talk concludes by stressing the importance of setting up an Indian Tri-Service IO Command using a ‘bricks and clay’ approach, as a suitable counter to the recently raised Chinese PLA Strategic Support Force.
Warfighting in Cyberspace: Concepts, Global Trends and the Indian Perspective
This keynote address was given at the virtual ‘National Summit on Cyber Security 2021’ conducted by Institute of Technology and Science, Ghaziabad, India. The audience comprised of faculty, students and industry participants from India and abroad. The talk covers a wide range of issues as follows: importance of cyberspace as a warfighting domain; modelling of national cyberspace; strategic cyber threats and targets; cyber defence strategies; existing cyberspace governance set-up and current strategy for protection of national cyberspace in India; global practices in national cyberspace protection covering US, UK, China and Russia; and finally, recommended transformative restructuring for cyberspace governance in India.
Infospace Wars: Towards an Indian Information Operations Command (Part II)
This work endeavours to analyse the changing nature of warfare in the Information Age, wherein inter-state conflicts are increasingly shifting from the physical (kinetic) to the virtual (information and cognitive) domains, in the process blurring the boundaries between peace and war. It takes note of the enhanced threat posed by China in Infospace and Space domains consequent to the creation of the PLA SSF. Against this backdrop, this two-part series explores India’s response options for developing requisite capability to engage effectively in Infospace conflicts. The previous part discussed the defining characteristics of IO and analyzed the organizational models for information forces adopted by China and the US. This concluding part first reviews existing IO structures in the Indian Armed Forces and then proposes a ‘bricks and clay’ phased approach for raising an Indian Tri-Service IO Command, assessed as being the model best suited for India.
Infospace Wars: Towards an Indian Information Operations Command (Part I)
The arena of warfighting in the 21st Century is gradually shifting from the physical to the information and cognitive realms. Realizing this, China has displayed commendable agility by integrating strategic space, cyber, electronic and psychological warfare capabilities under the potent PLA Strategic Support Force (SSF); the US has raised its Cyber and Space Commands over the last decade and has significant psychological operations resources at its disposal; and Russia has demonstrated its capabilities for waging war in Infospace by conducting dramatic operations in Estonia, Georgia and Ukraine. Against this backdrop, it is imperative for India to build non-kinetic warfare capabilities in conformance with our geopolitical aspirations. This two-part series outlines a roadmap for creating an Indian IO Command. In this first part, it discusses the defining characteristics of IO and analyses the organizational models for information forces adopted by China and the US with the aim of determining IO structures best suited for India.