Dr. Andrew Liaropoulos is Associate Professor in University of Piraeus, Greece. He earned his Master's Degree in Intelligence and Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University and his Doctorate Diploma at Swansea University.
Social media platforms have altered the way societies interact with war. The use of social media ... more Social media platforms have altered the way societies interact with war. The use of social media triggered a paradigm shift in terms of targeting audiences, influencing the construct of strategic narratives, and spreading (dis)information. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp enable users to follow military action in almost real-time and in greater detail than ever before. The weaponization of social media is targeting our attention, and in parallel with the actual war, a battle for our hearts and minds is being fought with memes, viral tweets, and video clips. The war in Ukraine is not the first to be documented on social media, but it is definitely the most viral one. This article highlights the role of social media and, in particular, how both Russia and Ukraine have used TikTok in the first months of the conflict.
Information is an essential element of state power used throughout history in order to exert infl... more Information is an essential element of state power used throughout history in order to exert influence on other actors and achieve certain political objectives. This paper reviews the way Russia has ‘weaponized’ information in the cases of the Crimea’s annexation in 2014 and the ongoing, since February 2022, war in Ukraine. The evidence from the above case studies reveal the various means and methods that Russia has employed. The Kremlin, via its information apparatus has exploited the Internet and social media platforms, in order to spread disinformation, construct strategic narratives and influence the decision-making processes of targeted audiences (mainly Ukraine and NATO member-states). Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure, there is evidence that they have had effect in both operational and strategic terms. Confronting this challenge requires a number of measures that range from the construction of counter narratives and the use of social media algorithms to detect fake news, to the internet literacy of the population and the projection of objective reporting to Russian speaking audiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the use of digital technologies in the name of public health ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the use of digital technologies in the name of public health and safety and vividly illustrated how societies, even democratic ones, can tolerate the expansion of executive power and accept restrictions on liberties. In China,
A social contract is about the rights and responsibilities among the members of the society on on... more A social contract is about the rights and responsibilities among the members of the society on one hand and the state and government on the other. Cyberspace, by serving as a unique global platform for the connection and communication of its billions of users, creates its own social structure and thereby forms a new regulatory ecosystem. The societal reform that is facilitated by cyberspace challenges the traditional understanding of rights and responsibilities that shape social contract theory. The disinformation campaigns, the spread of hate speech, and the emergence of systemic algorithmic discrimination are examples that illustrate the need for new rules and social agreements between all stakeholders. This research aims to manifest the necessity of a social contract for the digital era. The study will first review the social contract theory and in particular, the classic works of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau and then specify the challenges that the state, the corporate sector and civil society face. The study concludes that the construction of a social contract between governments, citizens and companies, is still in its early phase. The enforcement of greater transparency, the implementation of new market regulations and above all the building of trust will enable the emergence of a new social contract.
Ο κυβερνοχώρος έχει αναγνωριστεί ως ο πέμπτος τομέας των πολεμικών επιχειρήσεων μετά την ξηρά, το... more Ο κυβερνοχώρος έχει αναγνωριστεί ως ο πέμπτος τομέας των πολεμικών επιχειρήσεων μετά την ξηρά, τον αέρα, τη θάλασσα και το διάστημα, με τη διαφορά ότι είναι ο μόνος που έχει δημιουργηθεί εξ’ ολοκλήρου από τον άνθρωπο. Η αδιάκοπη εξάρτηση των ανθρώπινων δραστηριοτήτων από τις υποδομές πληροφοριών εγείρει το ζήτημα της ασφάλειας. Οι πιο επιζήμιες επιθέσεις στον κυβερνοχώρο είναι εκείνες κατά των κρίσιμων υποδομών και των πληροφοριακών συστημάτων ενός κράτους. Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία εξετάζει τις κυβερνοεπιθέσεις που έλαβαν χώρα το 2007 στην Εσθονία με σκοπό να αναδείξει την επίδραση τους στην μετεξέλιξη της κυβερνοασφάλειας. Αποτελεί την πρώτη ιστορικά, περίπτωση κυβερνοεπίθεσης εναντίον ενός κυρίαρχου κράτους, η οποία μάλιστα κατέδειξε το πρόβλημα απόδοσης ευθύνης και την ανεπάρκεια του Διεθνούς Δικαίου στον τομέα της κυβερνοασφάλειας. Για τη διερεύνηση του ζητήματος θα αναλυθούν παρακάτω τα μέτρα που έχουν ληφθεί και οι στρατηγικές που έχουν υιοθετηθεί τόσο σε κρατικό όσο και σε θεσμικό επίπεδο. Τέλος, θα παρατεθεί μία συγκριτική ανάλυση Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) και Βορειοατλαντικής Συμμαχίας (ΝΑΤΟ) αναφορικά με τις δυνατότητες των δύο οργανισμών στον τομέα αυτό.
Cybersecurity in the EU: Threats, Frameworks and future perspectives, 2019
For several years now, as technology integrates into our lives, security of individuals, organiza... more For several years now, as technology integrates into our lives, security of individuals, organizational and states is challenged by high-profile cyber incidents. Particularly, as the digital era began, it brought new possibilities and positive prospects for communication, trade and businesses. It provided easier and faster access, alleviated transport and several services. More and more daily activities and transactions are conducted through the use of Internet and technological devices. Soon challenges, threats and risks developed in the cyber space, rooted in the acceleration of technology. Virtual attacks are threatening government institutions, critical infrastructure. Sensitive information or personal data are exposed. The digitalization overall can create more fragile and exposed to dangers societies. Obviously, with the utilization and expansion of cyberspace, its security has been addressed as highly important for governmental and non-governmental actors. Over the past years, the European Union has acknowledged the increasing threats deriving from the nature of our digitally driven world, the reliance on automation and the connection to data. Thus, the EU wants to take the responsibility of cyber security in its own hands by shaping a comprehensive and integral cyber security strategy for its member states as an effort to strengthen the resilience of cyberspace, mitigate the cyber threats and explore all the benefits of digital transformation. This paper explores the territory of cyber security in the European Union. In the first place, it reflects on the challenge of defining “cybersecurity” by the European Union. Secondly, it maps the cyber security threats which pressed EU to shape a cyber security strategy. Then, it aims to identify the main cyber security capabilities, frameworks and tools of the EU. The last sectionfeatures the future steps of the European Union towards cyber security and reveals some challenges that the EU member states face in order to achieve a common cyber security policy and cyber security management at the EU level.
Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. Its decentr... more Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. Its decentralized nature and the fact that it is mostly owned and managed by the private sector raise a number of questions regarding the most effective model of governance. Viewing cyberspace as a global commons, balancing between state sovereignty and the fragmentation of cyberspace, and debating between multilateralism and multi-stakeholderism makes discussions of cyberspace governance quite complex. The cases of ITU, ICANN, IGF, UN GGE, and NETmundial raise issues of legitimacy and accountability and offer a pragmatic insight into the power politics of cyberspace.
The cyber security discourse is dominated by states and corporations that focus on the protection... more The cyber security discourse is dominated by states and corporations that focus on the protection of critical information infrastructure and databases. The priority is the security of information systems and networks, rather than the protection of connected users. The dominance of war metaphors in the cyber security debates has produced a security dilemma, which is not sufficiently addressing the needs of people. This article underlines this shortcoming and views cyber security through a human-centric perspective. Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are under attack in the era of cyber surveillance. From a human-centric perspective such rights should be understood as a critical part of cyber security. Human rights protections need to be effectively addressed in the digital sphere and gain their place in the cyber security agendas.
Cyber-security relates to the threats posed to the nation’s critical infrastructure, but should n... more Cyber-security relates to the threats posed to the nation’s critical infrastructure, but should not be limited to the traditional concept of national security. The militarization of the cyber-security discourse has produced a security dilemma, which is not addressing sufficiently the needs of the people. The article highlights this shortcoming and views cyber-security, through a human-centric approach. The challenge ahead is to establish a governance regime for cyberspace that successfully addresses human rights norms.
The purpose of this article is to identify the challenges that the Greek National Intelligence Se... more The purpose of this article is to identify the challenges that the Greek National Intelligence Service (NIS) is facing and to stress the need for a genuine reform of the Greek Intelligence Community. Over the past years NIS has experienced several failures and so far the efforts to reform the Service have been insufficient. The reason is that past reforms of NIS were basically a spasmodic reaction to intelligence failures and political pressure, and not a result of a holistic and detailed analysis of the challenges that the Greek Intelligence Community has to meet in a complex international security environment. The present article makes a number of recommendations regarding a fundamental reform of the Greek Intelligence Community. Reallocating NIS to the Prime Minister, staffing the Service with the proper personnel and reassessing its priorities, creating new institutions like the National Intelligence Council and placing an Inspector General within the intelligence apparatus, are some of the proposals that will truly reform the Greek Intelligence Community.
The U.S.-China bilateral agenda is dominated by issues like trade, intellectual property rights, ... more The U.S.-China bilateral agenda is dominated by issues like trade, intellectual property rights, monetary policy, human rights and security issues. However, given the fact that critical national infrastructures and the private sector are increasingly dependent on digital assets, cyberspace has become an important aspect of their bilateral relationship. The purpose of this paper is to define the nature of U.S.-China relationship in cyberspace and identify issues that cause conflict between Washington and Beijing. For both sides, cyberspace is a realm where they exercise power politics in order to pursue their national interests. The two global competitors have different positions on most of the issues that relate to cyberspace. Fear and uncertainty are present in cyberspace for both Washington and Beijing. Nevertheless, they also have common goals. The level of interdependence between them is high and avoiding misperception and escalation is a mutual priority. Therefore, both sides are trying to avoid mistrust and conflict in cyberspace and establish some cooperative mechanisms. Based on previous practice from nuclear diplomacy, both sides are in the process of identifying diplomatic tools (e.g. confidence building measures, Track II diplomacy and simulations) in order to avoid unnecessary tension in cyberspace.
Information and communication technologies have a broad impact on every aspect of social life. Cy... more Information and communication technologies have a broad impact on every aspect of social life. Cyberspace is an expanding digital network that connects social, business and military networks around the world. The advent of social media has had a fundamental effect on how people communicate and act. In recent years, social media has emphasized the potential for citizens to engage in the public sphere, inform, communicate, affect governance within and across national borders and at the same time empower governments to reach out in new ways and to broader audiences than before. In an interdependent world where communication is transmitted at the speed of light, social media can serve as a tool to understand, but also control societies. The social revolutions that took place in Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and other countries revealed that social media and social networks can function as a force multiplier for political action. These developments have not escaped the attention of the intelligence community. The transition from the traditional means of communication (press, radio and television) to the social media, affects many aspects of the intelligence business. The emergence of social media intelligence poses technical, conceptual and operational challenges for the intelligence agencies.
Social media platforms have altered the way societies interact with war. The use of social media ... more Social media platforms have altered the way societies interact with war. The use of social media triggered a paradigm shift in terms of targeting audiences, influencing the construct of strategic narratives, and spreading (dis)information. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp enable users to follow military action in almost real-time and in greater detail than ever before. The weaponization of social media is targeting our attention, and in parallel with the actual war, a battle for our hearts and minds is being fought with memes, viral tweets, and video clips. The war in Ukraine is not the first to be documented on social media, but it is definitely the most viral one. This article highlights the role of social media and, in particular, how both Russia and Ukraine have used TikTok in the first months of the conflict.
Information is an essential element of state power used throughout history in order to exert infl... more Information is an essential element of state power used throughout history in order to exert influence on other actors and achieve certain political objectives. This paper reviews the way Russia has ‘weaponized’ information in the cases of the Crimea’s annexation in 2014 and the ongoing, since February 2022, war in Ukraine. The evidence from the above case studies reveal the various means and methods that Russia has employed. The Kremlin, via its information apparatus has exploited the Internet and social media platforms, in order to spread disinformation, construct strategic narratives and influence the decision-making processes of targeted audiences (mainly Ukraine and NATO member-states). Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure, there is evidence that they have had effect in both operational and strategic terms. Confronting this challenge requires a number of measures that range from the construction of counter narratives and the use of social media algorithms to detect fake news, to the internet literacy of the population and the projection of objective reporting to Russian speaking audiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the use of digital technologies in the name of public health ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the use of digital technologies in the name of public health and safety and vividly illustrated how societies, even democratic ones, can tolerate the expansion of executive power and accept restrictions on liberties. In China,
A social contract is about the rights and responsibilities among the members of the society on on... more A social contract is about the rights and responsibilities among the members of the society on one hand and the state and government on the other. Cyberspace, by serving as a unique global platform for the connection and communication of its billions of users, creates its own social structure and thereby forms a new regulatory ecosystem. The societal reform that is facilitated by cyberspace challenges the traditional understanding of rights and responsibilities that shape social contract theory. The disinformation campaigns, the spread of hate speech, and the emergence of systemic algorithmic discrimination are examples that illustrate the need for new rules and social agreements between all stakeholders. This research aims to manifest the necessity of a social contract for the digital era. The study will first review the social contract theory and in particular, the classic works of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau and then specify the challenges that the state, the corporate sector and civil society face. The study concludes that the construction of a social contract between governments, citizens and companies, is still in its early phase. The enforcement of greater transparency, the implementation of new market regulations and above all the building of trust will enable the emergence of a new social contract.
Ο κυβερνοχώρος έχει αναγνωριστεί ως ο πέμπτος τομέας των πολεμικών επιχειρήσεων μετά την ξηρά, το... more Ο κυβερνοχώρος έχει αναγνωριστεί ως ο πέμπτος τομέας των πολεμικών επιχειρήσεων μετά την ξηρά, τον αέρα, τη θάλασσα και το διάστημα, με τη διαφορά ότι είναι ο μόνος που έχει δημιουργηθεί εξ’ ολοκλήρου από τον άνθρωπο. Η αδιάκοπη εξάρτηση των ανθρώπινων δραστηριοτήτων από τις υποδομές πληροφοριών εγείρει το ζήτημα της ασφάλειας. Οι πιο επιζήμιες επιθέσεις στον κυβερνοχώρο είναι εκείνες κατά των κρίσιμων υποδομών και των πληροφοριακών συστημάτων ενός κράτους. Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία εξετάζει τις κυβερνοεπιθέσεις που έλαβαν χώρα το 2007 στην Εσθονία με σκοπό να αναδείξει την επίδραση τους στην μετεξέλιξη της κυβερνοασφάλειας. Αποτελεί την πρώτη ιστορικά, περίπτωση κυβερνοεπίθεσης εναντίον ενός κυρίαρχου κράτους, η οποία μάλιστα κατέδειξε το πρόβλημα απόδοσης ευθύνης και την ανεπάρκεια του Διεθνούς Δικαίου στον τομέα της κυβερνοασφάλειας. Για τη διερεύνηση του ζητήματος θα αναλυθούν παρακάτω τα μέτρα που έχουν ληφθεί και οι στρατηγικές που έχουν υιοθετηθεί τόσο σε κρατικό όσο και σε θεσμικό επίπεδο. Τέλος, θα παρατεθεί μία συγκριτική ανάλυση Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) και Βορειοατλαντικής Συμμαχίας (ΝΑΤΟ) αναφορικά με τις δυνατότητες των δύο οργανισμών στον τομέα αυτό.
Cybersecurity in the EU: Threats, Frameworks and future perspectives, 2019
For several years now, as technology integrates into our lives, security of individuals, organiza... more For several years now, as technology integrates into our lives, security of individuals, organizational and states is challenged by high-profile cyber incidents. Particularly, as the digital era began, it brought new possibilities and positive prospects for communication, trade and businesses. It provided easier and faster access, alleviated transport and several services. More and more daily activities and transactions are conducted through the use of Internet and technological devices. Soon challenges, threats and risks developed in the cyber space, rooted in the acceleration of technology. Virtual attacks are threatening government institutions, critical infrastructure. Sensitive information or personal data are exposed. The digitalization overall can create more fragile and exposed to dangers societies. Obviously, with the utilization and expansion of cyberspace, its security has been addressed as highly important for governmental and non-governmental actors. Over the past years, the European Union has acknowledged the increasing threats deriving from the nature of our digitally driven world, the reliance on automation and the connection to data. Thus, the EU wants to take the responsibility of cyber security in its own hands by shaping a comprehensive and integral cyber security strategy for its member states as an effort to strengthen the resilience of cyberspace, mitigate the cyber threats and explore all the benefits of digital transformation. This paper explores the territory of cyber security in the European Union. In the first place, it reflects on the challenge of defining “cybersecurity” by the European Union. Secondly, it maps the cyber security threats which pressed EU to shape a cyber security strategy. Then, it aims to identify the main cyber security capabilities, frameworks and tools of the EU. The last sectionfeatures the future steps of the European Union towards cyber security and reveals some challenges that the EU member states face in order to achieve a common cyber security policy and cyber security management at the EU level.
Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. Its decentr... more Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. Its decentralized nature and the fact that it is mostly owned and managed by the private sector raise a number of questions regarding the most effective model of governance. Viewing cyberspace as a global commons, balancing between state sovereignty and the fragmentation of cyberspace, and debating between multilateralism and multi-stakeholderism makes discussions of cyberspace governance quite complex. The cases of ITU, ICANN, IGF, UN GGE, and NETmundial raise issues of legitimacy and accountability and offer a pragmatic insight into the power politics of cyberspace.
The cyber security discourse is dominated by states and corporations that focus on the protection... more The cyber security discourse is dominated by states and corporations that focus on the protection of critical information infrastructure and databases. The priority is the security of information systems and networks, rather than the protection of connected users. The dominance of war metaphors in the cyber security debates has produced a security dilemma, which is not sufficiently addressing the needs of people. This article underlines this shortcoming and views cyber security through a human-centric perspective. Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are under attack in the era of cyber surveillance. From a human-centric perspective such rights should be understood as a critical part of cyber security. Human rights protections need to be effectively addressed in the digital sphere and gain their place in the cyber security agendas.
Cyber-security relates to the threats posed to the nation’s critical infrastructure, but should n... more Cyber-security relates to the threats posed to the nation’s critical infrastructure, but should not be limited to the traditional concept of national security. The militarization of the cyber-security discourse has produced a security dilemma, which is not addressing sufficiently the needs of the people. The article highlights this shortcoming and views cyber-security, through a human-centric approach. The challenge ahead is to establish a governance regime for cyberspace that successfully addresses human rights norms.
The purpose of this article is to identify the challenges that the Greek National Intelligence Se... more The purpose of this article is to identify the challenges that the Greek National Intelligence Service (NIS) is facing and to stress the need for a genuine reform of the Greek Intelligence Community. Over the past years NIS has experienced several failures and so far the efforts to reform the Service have been insufficient. The reason is that past reforms of NIS were basically a spasmodic reaction to intelligence failures and political pressure, and not a result of a holistic and detailed analysis of the challenges that the Greek Intelligence Community has to meet in a complex international security environment. The present article makes a number of recommendations regarding a fundamental reform of the Greek Intelligence Community. Reallocating NIS to the Prime Minister, staffing the Service with the proper personnel and reassessing its priorities, creating new institutions like the National Intelligence Council and placing an Inspector General within the intelligence apparatus, are some of the proposals that will truly reform the Greek Intelligence Community.
The U.S.-China bilateral agenda is dominated by issues like trade, intellectual property rights, ... more The U.S.-China bilateral agenda is dominated by issues like trade, intellectual property rights, monetary policy, human rights and security issues. However, given the fact that critical national infrastructures and the private sector are increasingly dependent on digital assets, cyberspace has become an important aspect of their bilateral relationship. The purpose of this paper is to define the nature of U.S.-China relationship in cyberspace and identify issues that cause conflict between Washington and Beijing. For both sides, cyberspace is a realm where they exercise power politics in order to pursue their national interests. The two global competitors have different positions on most of the issues that relate to cyberspace. Fear and uncertainty are present in cyberspace for both Washington and Beijing. Nevertheless, they also have common goals. The level of interdependence between them is high and avoiding misperception and escalation is a mutual priority. Therefore, both sides are trying to avoid mistrust and conflict in cyberspace and establish some cooperative mechanisms. Based on previous practice from nuclear diplomacy, both sides are in the process of identifying diplomatic tools (e.g. confidence building measures, Track II diplomacy and simulations) in order to avoid unnecessary tension in cyberspace.
Information and communication technologies have a broad impact on every aspect of social life. Cy... more Information and communication technologies have a broad impact on every aspect of social life. Cyberspace is an expanding digital network that connects social, business and military networks around the world. The advent of social media has had a fundamental effect on how people communicate and act. In recent years, social media has emphasized the potential for citizens to engage in the public sphere, inform, communicate, affect governance within and across national borders and at the same time empower governments to reach out in new ways and to broader audiences than before. In an interdependent world where communication is transmitted at the speed of light, social media can serve as a tool to understand, but also control societies. The social revolutions that took place in Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and other countries revealed that social media and social networks can function as a force multiplier for political action. These developments have not escaped the attention of the intelligence community. The transition from the traditional means of communication (press, radio and television) to the social media, affects many aspects of the intelligence business. The emergence of social media intelligence poses technical, conceptual and operational challenges for the intelligence agencies.
Science and technology have been integrated into military strategy and tactics since the beginnin... more Science and technology have been integrated into military strategy and tactics since the beginning of time. In the current era, armies are pushing the boundaries of technology in both the preparation for combat, as well as digitizing the present battlefield. This chapter highlights the extent to which augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are transforming the way armies train and fight. The first part analyzes the reality spectrum and in particular, the developments associated with AR, VR and the metaverse. The second part demonstrates the way AR and VR instruments are integrated in the military sector. This includes among others, efforts to decrease the time and logistics required to train soldiers on combat tactics, to produce warfare simulations and virtual boot camps, but also how to train doctors and paramedics to carry out lifesaving operations in the stressful surroundings of a real warzone. Having conceptualized how AR and VR are practically applied in the military sector, the last part places these technological developments within the broader context of military transformation and critically questions whether these developments do actually constitute a new revolution in military affairs or not.
Constantinos Filis (ed.), A Closer Look at Russia and its Influence on the World (NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2019)., 2019
The purpose of this chapter is to review Russian Information Operations as exercised in recent ye... more The purpose of this chapter is to review Russian Information Operations as exercised in recent years and analyze their significance as part of a broader grand strategy scheme. In order to do that, we will first analyze the way information war/operations are conceptualized by the Russian political and military elite. There is a distinction between the Russian approach to information warfare, which is employed during both peacetime and wartime, and the Western approach, which is limited to tactical information operations carried out during a military campaign. The Russian approach is broader, and the recent evidence from Ukraine demonstrates that the Russian state and Russian nonstate actors have exploited the Internet, social media and cyber tools in order to conduct a type of warfare that largely avoids using traditional military force. Instead, it is focused on influencing the populations and decision-making processes of targeted countries. Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure, there is speculation that they have had some effect in both operational terms (e.g., the case of the Ukraine-Crimea crisis) and strategic terms (e.g., eroding liberal democracy in Europe and weakening NATO’s cohesion). Having conceptualized a theoretical framework for how Russia perceives and utilizes information operations, we will make some suggestions on how to counter this new challenge.
This reader will provide authoritative and thought-provoking pieces of War Studies scholarship in... more This reader will provide authoritative and thought-provoking pieces of War Studies scholarship in an accessible form. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, including strategy (Colin S. Gray), ‘Shell-Shock and the Cultural History of the Great War’ (Jay Winter) and Coalition Warfare (Holger H. Herwig), this book purposefully ranges across military history, international relations and contemporary security to capture the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. Gary Sheffield also provides an introduction to the Reader and to War Studies, explaining the growth and development of this dynamic field of study.
Table of Contents
Editor's Introduction
1. Why Study Military History? (Peter Gray)
2. Why Strategy is Difficult (Colin Gray)
3. General William T. Sherman and Total War (John Bennett Walters)
4. Disjointed Allies: Coalition Warfare in Berlin and Vienna, 1914 (Holger H. Herwig)
5. "Freies Deutschland" Guerilla Warfare in East Prussia, 1944-1945: A Contribution to the History of the German Resistance (Perry Biddiscombe)
6. Revolutions in Warfare: Theoretical Paradigms and Historical Evidence - The Napoleonic and First World War Revolutions in Military Affairs (Andrew N. Liaropoulos)
7. Atrocity, War Crime and Treason in the English Civil War (Barbara Donagan)
8. Shell-shock and the Cultural History of the Great War (Jay Winter)
9. War Casualties, Policy Positions and the Fate of Legislators (Scott Sigmund Gartner, Gary M. Segura and Bethany A. Barratt)
10. Chinese Military Power: What Vexes the United States and Why? (Jonathan D. Pollack)
This essay questions whether a strategic culture is emerging in Europe. The objective is to ident... more This essay questions whether a strategic culture is emerging in Europe. The objective is to identify the endogenous obstacles that hinder the formation of a common strategic culture. First, it reviews the concept of strategic culture and then applies it in the European security context. The persistence and heterogeneity of national strategic cultures, along with the scanty military budget, as well as the institutional stiffness and the lack of political will, highlight the inability of the European Union to construct a coherent strategic culture. Second, by identifying the need to focus on the non-military security dimensions, the essay also examines the utility of the security culture concept. Only by balancing the civilian and military dimensions, integrating the new member states and enhancing its operational capabilities will the EU move gradually towards a Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Cyberwarfare and Security , 2021
Digital technologies have gradually affected the way societies interact, how companies deliver se... more Digital technologies have gradually affected the way societies interact, how companies deliver services and how people are governed. Policymakers around the world have realized the importance of digital technologies on their countries’ security and autonomy and have issued sovereignty claims regarding cyberspace. The European Union - an actor that aims to ensure that governments, the private sector, civil society organisations and end users around the world promote an open, free, and secure cyberspace - has recently added the concept of digital sovereignty in its political vocabulary. Taking for granted that there is no widely accepted and comprehensive approach regarding digital sovereignty, this paper will analyse the European discourse on digital sovereignty. It will first review the ambiguous concept of sovereignty and then explore the way it can be applied in the European digital domain. The aim is to highlight the dilemmas and constrains that the EU is facing in relation to regulating the digital domain, avoiding technological protectionism, promoting cyber-resilience, and understanding the game of digital geopolitics.
In common with the other domains, cyberspace is a domain where states and non-state actors use fo... more In common with the other domains, cyberspace is a domain where states and non-state actors use force, or threaten its use, in order to achieve political objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the utility of coercion in cyberspace and in particular, to identify the conditions under which an actor can successfully use cyber power to deter adversaries from taking certain actions, or compel them. In order to do that, we have to question how coercion theory applies to cyberspace. Taking into consideration the unique characteristics of cyberspace (e.g anonymity, attribution problem) it is necessary to examine how cyber actors can clearly communicate threats, estimate the cost-benefit calculus, assess credibility and exercise reassurance. Cyber coercion is not easy. Cyber operations are secretive in nature, thus, actors conducting cyber coercion have to consider not only the technical parameters of their potential targets, but also the value of attribution. Having established a theoretical framework on cyber coercion, we will proceed with the analysis of the North Korean cyber operation against Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. It is a hum... more Cyberspace is a socio-political and technological domain with unique characteristics. It is a human made domain that offers universal reach and access to its users. Its decentralized nature and the fact that it is mostly owned and managed by the private sector, raise a number of questions regarding the limits of state sovereignty and the most effective form of governance. Viewing cyberspace as a global commons, balancing between state sovereignty and the fragmentation of cyberspace and debating between multilateral governance and multi-stakeholderism, illustrate the difficulty of regulating human activities behind keyboards and computer screens. The cases of ITU, ICANN, IGF and NETmundial offer us a pragmatic insight into the power politics of cyberspace. Reducing uncertainty between the various stakeholders, developing norms, advancing law-making efforts and matching geopolitics with technology are all pieces of the complex puzzle of cyberspace governance.
Cyber-security has been approached by various disciplines. Information technology experts, lawyer... more Cyber-security has been approached by various disciplines. Information technology experts, lawyers, strategists and state officials have enriched the debate about the nature of cyber-security. The dominant trend - regardless of its theoretical origin - is state-centric. This approach is to a large extent legitimate, but at the same time inadequate. Cybersecurity relates directly to the threats posed to the nation’s critical infrastructure, but should not be limited to the traditional concept of national security. The militarization of the cyber-security discourse has produced a security dilemma, which is not addressing sufficiently the needs of the people. The purpose of this paper is to highlight this shortcoming and view cybersecurity, through a human-centric prism. The paper will address the way state and non-state practices violate human rights in cyberspace. Over the past years, the development of internet censorship techniques and Edward Snowden revelations about the global surveillance carried out by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), vividly demonstrate that Internet freedom, anonymity and data protection are constantly under attack. The challenge ahead is to establish a governance regime for cyberspace that successfully addresses human rights norms and standards.
Cyberspace is erroneously characterized as a domain that transcends physical space and thereby is... more Cyberspace is erroneously characterized as a domain that transcends physical space and thereby is immune to state sovereignty and resistant to international regulation. The purpose of this paper is to signify that cyberspace, in common with the other four domains (land, sea, air and outer space) and despite its unique characteristics, is just a reflection of the current international system, and thereby is largely affected by the rules that characterize it. The issue of state sovereignty in cyberspace is critical to any discussion about future regulation of cyberspace. Although cyberspace is borderless and is characterized by anonymity and ubiquity, recent state practices provide sufficient evidence that cyberspace, or at least some components of it, are not immune from sovereignty. The increasing use of Internet filtering techniques by both authoritarian regimes and democracies is just the latest example of attempting to control information flows. Cyberspace is non‐territorial, but in sharp contrast to the land, sea, air and outer space, cyberspace is not a part of nature, it is human‐made and therefore can be unmade and regulated. States have continuously emphasized their right to exercise control over the cyber‐infrastructure located in their respective territory, to exercise their jurisdiction over cyberactivities on their territory, and to protect their cyber‐infrastructure against any trans‐border interference by other states or by individuals. As a result, states are filtering and monitoring cyber‐bytes. Over the past years, there is a growing number of states that is publishing national cyber‐policies and establishing cyber‐centers that aim to protect the national cyber‐infrastructure and control their citizens’ access to information. The issue of state sovereignty in cyberspace raises critical questions about the need to regulate the cyber domain and gradually reach an international cyber‐order.
Over the last two decades there is a growing body of literature over exploiting cyberspace for of... more Over the last two decades there is a growing body of literature over exploiting cyberspace for offensive and defensive purposes. Cyber-conflict is after all the newest mode of warfare and cyber-weapons have been described as weapons of mass disruption. Although the attention on the technical and military dimensions of cyberspace is justifiable, one needs also to look into the legal and ethical aspects of cyber-conflict, in order to comprehend the complex nature of cyberspace. Conflict in cyberspace raises many ethical questions for both theorists and practitioners of warfare. In particular, the lack of an international legal framework that defines the use of force in cyberspace, operational difficulties in deterring and identifying cyber-attacks as well as the asymmetric dimension of cyber-conflicts pose without a doubt, great pressure on the just war tradition. This paper applies just war theory (jus ad bellum, jus in bello and jus post bellum) in cyberspace and explores when and how states may justly resort to cyber-conflict, operate during such a conflict and terminate it. Cyberspace is accessible to all and there are no rules or norms providing guidelines for the use of force. In addition to that, cyber-conflict appears to be less lethal and has a global reach. As a result, cyberspace makes conflict more thinkable, but that does not mean that it must also be unjust.
The latest Eurozone crisis indicated that economic sustainability and development cannot be unila... more The latest Eurozone crisis indicated that economic sustainability and development cannot be unilaterally tackled by Member States. Such case resembles the situation when Cold War ended and EU Defence industries faced major budgetary reductions. The sustainability of national defence industries and relative economic policies is twofold: The determination of defence-related economic policies on the national-level has important implications for national security which, in turn provides an environment conductive to economic growth and hence to citizens’ welfare. Therefore, Moshovis’ argument that national defence and security have historically been considered a public-social merit good (Moshovis, 2000: 11) reflects a more general attitude which is relevant to the realisation of CSDP. Hence, CSDP may be considered as EU Member States’ shared means for promoting joint economic interests. This paper explores the dynamics and contributing policies to the promotion of these joint interests while investigates the role of R&D as a distinct Europeanisation force. The analysis focuses on the correlation of Radaelli’s Europeanisation theoretical perspective with empirical data in order to shed light to the process and impact of R&D.
Το Εργαστήριο Στρατηγικής Επικοινωνίας και Μέσων Ενημέρωσης & το Εργαστήριο Πληροφόρησης και Κυβε... more Το Εργαστήριο Στρατηγικής Επικοινωνίας και Μέσων Ενημέρωσης & το Εργαστήριο Πληροφόρησης και Κυβερνοασφάλειας, του Τμήματος Διεθνών και Ευρωπαϊκών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστήμιο Πειριαιώς συνδιοργανώνουν το συνέδριο με θέμα:
«Κοινωνία της Επιτήρησης: Από την Κυβερνοασφάλεια στα Fake News - Μέσα, Μηνύματα, Στρατηγικές»
Η συζήτηση γύρω από τις «ψευδείς ειδήσεις» είναι μια συζήτηση για τη γνώση και την αλήθεια, για την μεροληψία και την χειραγώγηση, για την τεχνολογική εξέλιξη και την ισχύ. Επιτήρηση και παρακολούθηση στον ψηφιακό κόσμο, κυβερνοασφάλεια, fake news, μέσα, μηνύματα και στρατηγικές, φόβοι των αποκαλύψεων και προβολές ισχύος, είναι ζητήματα τα οποία θα εξεταστούν διεξοδικά . Υπό το πρίσμα του συνεδρίου θα τεθούν σύγχρονα θέματα κυβερνοασφάλειας, απειλές και στρατηγικές που χρησιμοποιούνται από κυβερνήσεις και ιδιώτες, καθώς και ποιες είναι οι σύγχρονες στρατηγικές αντιμετώπισης: Ποια είναι η εφαρμογή του διεθνούς δικαίου για τις επιχειρήσεις στον κυβερνοχώρο; Τι συμβαίνει στην Ευρώπη πάνω στο ζήτημα της κυβερνοασφάλειας; Ποιος ήταν ο ρόλος των ΜΜΕ στην αναπαραγωγή των ειδήσεων για τα σκάνδαλα των Wikileaks και του Snowden; Ποια είναι η στρατηγική χρήση του όρου fake news και πως χρησιμοποιούνται στους λόγους των ηγετών και των πολιτικών για την αποδόμηση των αντιπάλων τους; Ποια παίγνια κυριαρχίας και ποιες συμβολικές διαμάχες διεξάγονται στην Κοινωνίας της Επιτήρησης και ποιες ρητορικές στρατηγικές ακολουθούνται; Πώς διαχειρίζονται τις κατηγορίες για χρησιμοποίηση των fake news όσοι τις υφίστανται; Στο συνέδριο θα συμμετέχουν έγκριτοι επιστήμονες και καθηγητές του Πανεπιστημίου Πειραιά, του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης, νέοι ερευνητές καθώς και επαγγελματίες του χώρου. Το Συνέδριο τελεί υπό την Αιγίδα του Μορφωτικού Ιδρύματος της ΕΣΗΕΑ.
The Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory is a research and education institution ope... more The Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory is a research and education institution operating at the International and European Studies Department, University of Piraeus. The Laboratory’s mission is to fill the gap between the scientific fields of International Relations with Communication and Media Studies and contribute to the development of the interdisciplinary field of International Political Communication.The Laboratory provides the Department of International and European Studies with research and education expertise on the fields of Strategic Communication, Argumentation, Rhetorical Communication and Persuasion in the context of both domestic politics and international politics, Media Studies, News Analysis, Nation Banding, Images of Nations, Cultural Diplomacy and Intercultural and International Communication. The Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory participated at the international conference: #AMIRetreat2017: Journalism, Society and Politics in the Digital Media Era, organized by the Advanced Media Institute, Open University of Cyprus and Cyprus University of Technology with two panels and eight research presentations. The Laboratory of Intelligence and Cyber-Security, University of Piraeus joined the panels with two more papers.This presentation includes only the abstracts of the panels and the papers of the two Laboratories that were presented at the conference. Both theStrategic Communication and News Media Laboratory and the Laboratory of Intelligence and Cyber-Security wish to thank the organizers of the conference and especially Prof. Sofia Iordanidou for the invitation and for providing a forum for in depth academic discussions and exchange of ideas.
Panel 1: (International) Politics, News Media and Images of Nations: Image Making in the Context of Crisis. Nation image is defined as the cognitive representation of a given country (Kunczik, 1997). There are three main forms of image-projected (i.e. the image as an attribute of the message): (a) The identity of the country as constructed and projected by strategic communication of institutions of a country. (b) The image of the country that derives from events that take place within the country and/or otherwise related with the country and (c) The journalistically mediated image, the image in the news which is produced by the combined operation of the (international) news making process, the strategies of actors and domestic and international events. Major events with long duration and high visibility operate via the processes of agenda setting and framing in order to affect the journalistically projected nation image of the countries related with the event. Aim of this panel is to examine the image of nation as constructed by the interplay of international events, domestic party -political systems, international politics and the news making process. The underlying context for all researches in this panel is that of crisis: Grexit, Brexit, Turkish Coup, Ukrainian Crisis, Refugee Crisis and the Greek Financial Crisis. This panel is sponsored by the Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory.
Panel 2: WikiLeaks, Snowden and the Surveillance Society: Politics, Narratives and Representations. The ability to digitize and capture data, to publish and disseminate it worldwide without mediation by external parties provided opportunities to anyone with the inclination to harness them. Continual developments in digital technology provided the ideal catalyst for the creation of the transparency organization Wiki Leaks. In June 2013, Edward Snowden released a series of classified National Security Administration documents that revealed extensive National Security Agency (NSA) foreign and domestic surveillance activities. The disclosure of US spying programs potentially threatened the government’s ability to carry out the national security activities needed to protect a democracy while Wiki Leaks deconstruct the official political rhetoric at an international level, delegitimize political actors in several countries while it provided opportunities for embarrassment for governments at both the international and domestic level. Both cases pose the more intricate question of how to weigh the democratic expectancies of free expression and the public’s right to know versus national security needs. Snowden and WikiLeaks necessitate a conceptual and methodological outline for studying the social and political implications of digital surveillance. The papers in this panel explore the politics of surveillance society, its triangular relations with journalism and security as well as the related narratives and representations. This panel is sponsored by the “Intelligence & Cybersecurity Laboratory” and the “Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory”, International and European Studies Department, University of Piraeus.
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Papers by Andrew N Liaropoulos
audiences, influencing the construct of strategic narratives, and spreading (dis)information. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp enable users to follow military action in almost real-time and in greater detail than ever before. The weaponization of social media is targeting our attention, and in parallel with the actual war, a battle for our hearts and minds is being fought with memes, viral tweets, and video clips. The war in Ukraine is not the first to be documented on social media, but it is definitely the most viral one. This article highlights the role of social media and, in particular, how both Russia and Ukraine have used TikTok in the first months of the conflict.
the Internet and social media platforms, in order to spread disinformation, construct strategic narratives and influence the decision-making processes of targeted audiences (mainly Ukraine and NATO member-states). Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure,
there is evidence that they have had effect in both operational and strategic terms. Confronting this challenge requires a number of measures that range from the construction of counter narratives and the use of social media algorithms to detect fake news, to the internet literacy of the population and the projection of objective reporting to Russian speaking audiences.
Over the past years, the European Union has acknowledged the increasing threats deriving from the nature of our digitally driven world, the reliance on automation and the connection to data. Thus, the EU wants to take the responsibility of cyber security in its own hands by shaping a comprehensive and integral cyber security strategy for its member states as an effort to strengthen the resilience of cyberspace, mitigate the cyber threats and explore all the benefits of digital transformation.
This paper explores the territory of cyber security in the European Union. In the first place, it reflects on the challenge of defining “cybersecurity” by the European Union. Secondly, it maps the cyber security threats which pressed EU to shape a cyber security strategy. Then, it aims to identify the main cyber security capabilities, frameworks and tools of the EU. The last sectionfeatures the future steps of the European Union towards cyber security and reveals some challenges that the EU member states face in order to achieve a common cyber security policy and cyber security management at the EU level.
audiences, influencing the construct of strategic narratives, and spreading (dis)information. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp enable users to follow military action in almost real-time and in greater detail than ever before. The weaponization of social media is targeting our attention, and in parallel with the actual war, a battle for our hearts and minds is being fought with memes, viral tweets, and video clips. The war in Ukraine is not the first to be documented on social media, but it is definitely the most viral one. This article highlights the role of social media and, in particular, how both Russia and Ukraine have used TikTok in the first months of the conflict.
the Internet and social media platforms, in order to spread disinformation, construct strategic narratives and influence the decision-making processes of targeted audiences (mainly Ukraine and NATO member-states). Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure,
there is evidence that they have had effect in both operational and strategic terms. Confronting this challenge requires a number of measures that range from the construction of counter narratives and the use of social media algorithms to detect fake news, to the internet literacy of the population and the projection of objective reporting to Russian speaking audiences.
Over the past years, the European Union has acknowledged the increasing threats deriving from the nature of our digitally driven world, the reliance on automation and the connection to data. Thus, the EU wants to take the responsibility of cyber security in its own hands by shaping a comprehensive and integral cyber security strategy for its member states as an effort to strengthen the resilience of cyberspace, mitigate the cyber threats and explore all the benefits of digital transformation.
This paper explores the territory of cyber security in the European Union. In the first place, it reflects on the challenge of defining “cybersecurity” by the European Union. Secondly, it maps the cyber security threats which pressed EU to shape a cyber security strategy. Then, it aims to identify the main cyber security capabilities, frameworks and tools of the EU. The last sectionfeatures the future steps of the European Union towards cyber security and reveals some challenges that the EU member states face in order to achieve a common cyber security policy and cyber security management at the EU level.
type of warfare that largely avoids using traditional military force. Instead, it is focused on influencing the populations and decision-making processes of targeted countries. Though the direct results of such operations are hard to measure, there is speculation that they have had some effect in both operational terms (e.g., the case of the Ukraine-Crimea crisis) and strategic terms (e.g., eroding liberal democracy in Europe and weakening NATO’s cohesion). Having conceptualized a theoretical framework for how Russia perceives and utilizes information operations, we will make some suggestions on how to counter this new challenge.
Table of Contents
Editor's Introduction
1. Why Study Military History? (Peter Gray)
2. Why Strategy is Difficult (Colin Gray)
3. General William T. Sherman and Total War (John Bennett Walters)
4. Disjointed Allies: Coalition Warfare in Berlin and Vienna, 1914 (Holger H. Herwig)
5. "Freies Deutschland" Guerilla Warfare in East Prussia, 1944-1945: A Contribution to the History of the German Resistance (Perry Biddiscombe)
6. Revolutions in Warfare: Theoretical Paradigms and Historical Evidence - The Napoleonic and First World War Revolutions in Military Affairs (Andrew N. Liaropoulos)
7. Atrocity, War Crime and Treason in the English Civil War (Barbara Donagan)
8. Shell-shock and the Cultural History of the Great War (Jay Winter)
9. War Casualties, Policy Positions and the Fate of Legislators (Scott Sigmund Gartner, Gary M. Segura and Bethany A. Barratt)
10. Chinese Military Power: What Vexes the United States and Why? (Jonathan D. Pollack)
people are governed. Policymakers around the world have realized the importance of digital technologies on their countries’
security and autonomy and have issued sovereignty claims regarding cyberspace. The European Union - an actor that aims
to ensure that governments, the private sector, civil society organisations and end users around the world promote an open,
free, and secure cyberspace - has recently added the concept of digital sovereignty in its political vocabulary. Taking for
granted that there is no widely accepted and comprehensive approach regarding digital sovereignty, this paper will analyse
the European discourse on digital sovereignty. It will first review the ambiguous concept of sovereignty and then explore the
way it can be applied in the European digital domain. The aim is to highlight the dilemmas and constrains that the EU is facing
in relation to regulating the digital domain, avoiding technological protectionism, promoting cyber-resilience, and
understanding the game of digital geopolitics.
threaten its use, in order to achieve political objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the utility of coercion in
cyberspace and in particular, to identify the conditions under which an actor can successfully use cyber power to deter
adversaries from taking certain actions, or compel them. In order to do that, we have to question how coercion theory applies
to cyberspace. Taking into consideration the unique characteristics of cyberspace (e.g anonymity, attribution problem) it is
necessary to examine how cyber actors can clearly communicate threats, estimate the cost-benefit calculus, assess credibility
and exercise reassurance. Cyber coercion is not easy. Cyber operations are secretive in nature, thus, actors conducting cyber
coercion have to consider not only the technical parameters of their potential targets, but also the value of attribution.
Having established a theoretical framework on cyber coercion, we will proceed with the analysis of the North Korean cyber
operation against Sony Pictures Entertainment.
that offers universal reach and access to its users. Its decentralized nature and the fact that it is mostly owned and managed
by the private sector, raise a number of questions regarding the limits of state sovereignty and the most effective form of
governance. Viewing cyberspace as a global commons, balancing between state sovereignty and the fragmentation of
cyberspace and debating between multilateral governance and multi-stakeholderism, illustrate the difficulty of regulating
human activities behind keyboards and computer screens. The cases of ITU, ICANN, IGF and NETmundial offer us a pragmatic
insight into the power politics of cyberspace. Reducing uncertainty between the various stakeholders, developing norms,
advancing law-making efforts and matching geopolitics with technology are all pieces of the complex puzzle of cyberspace
governance.
«Κοινωνία της Επιτήρησης: Από την Κυβερνοασφάλεια στα Fake News - Μέσα, Μηνύματα, Στρατηγικές»
Η συζήτηση γύρω από τις «ψευδείς ειδήσεις» είναι μια συζήτηση για τη γνώση και την αλήθεια, για την μεροληψία και την χειραγώγηση, για την τεχνολογική εξέλιξη και την ισχύ. Επιτήρηση και παρακολούθηση στον ψηφιακό κόσμο, κυβερνοασφάλεια, fake news, μέσα, μηνύματα και στρατηγικές, φόβοι των αποκαλύψεων και προβολές ισχύος, είναι ζητήματα τα οποία θα εξεταστούν διεξοδικά .
Υπό το πρίσμα του συνεδρίου θα τεθούν σύγχρονα θέματα κυβερνοασφάλειας, απειλές και στρατηγικές που χρησιμοποιούνται από κυβερνήσεις και ιδιώτες, καθώς και ποιες είναι οι σύγχρονες στρατηγικές αντιμετώπισης:
Ποια είναι η εφαρμογή του διεθνούς δικαίου για τις επιχειρήσεις στον κυβερνοχώρο;
Τι συμβαίνει στην Ευρώπη πάνω στο ζήτημα της κυβερνοασφάλειας;
Ποιος ήταν ο ρόλος των ΜΜΕ στην αναπαραγωγή των ειδήσεων για τα σκάνδαλα των Wikileaks και του Snowden;
Ποια είναι η στρατηγική χρήση του όρου fake news και πως χρησιμοποιούνται στους λόγους των ηγετών και των πολιτικών για την αποδόμηση των αντιπάλων τους;
Ποια παίγνια κυριαρχίας και ποιες συμβολικές διαμάχες διεξάγονται στην Κοινωνίας της Επιτήρησης και ποιες ρητορικές στρατηγικές ακολουθούνται;
Πώς διαχειρίζονται τις κατηγορίες για χρησιμοποίηση των fake news όσοι τις υφίστανται;
Στο συνέδριο θα συμμετέχουν έγκριτοι επιστήμονες και καθηγητές του Πανεπιστημίου Πειραιά, του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης, νέοι ερευνητές καθώς και επαγγελματίες του χώρου. Το Συνέδριο τελεί υπό την Αιγίδα του Μορφωτικού Ιδρύματος της ΕΣΗΕΑ.
The Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory participated at the international conference: #AMIRetreat2017: Journalism, Society and Politics in the Digital Media Era, organized by the Advanced Media Institute, Open University of Cyprus and Cyprus University of Technology with two panels and eight research presentations. The Laboratory of Intelligence and Cyber-Security, University of Piraeus joined the panels with two more papers.This presentation includes only the abstracts of the panels and the papers of the two Laboratories that were presented at the conference.
Both theStrategic Communication and News Media Laboratory and the Laboratory of Intelligence and Cyber-Security wish to thank the organizers of the conference and especially Prof. Sofia Iordanidou for the invitation and for providing a forum for in depth academic discussions and exchange of ideas.
Panel 1: (International) Politics, News Media and Images of Nations: Image Making in the Context of Crisis.
Nation image is defined as the cognitive representation of a given country (Kunczik, 1997). There are three main forms of image-projected (i.e. the image as an attribute of the message): (a) The identity of the country as constructed and projected by strategic communication of institutions of a country. (b) The image of the country that derives from events that take place within the country and/or otherwise related with the country and (c) The journalistically mediated image, the image in the news which is produced by the combined operation of the (international) news making process, the strategies of actors and domestic and international events. Major events with long duration and high visibility operate via the processes of agenda setting and framing in order to affect the journalistically projected nation image of the countries related with the event. Aim of this panel is to examine the image of nation as constructed by the interplay of international events, domestic party -political systems, international politics and the news making process. The underlying context for all researches in this panel is that of crisis: Grexit, Brexit, Turkish Coup, Ukrainian Crisis, Refugee Crisis and the Greek Financial Crisis.
This panel is sponsored by the Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory.
Panel 2: WikiLeaks, Snowden and the Surveillance Society: Politics, Narratives and Representations.
The ability to digitize and capture data, to publish and disseminate it worldwide without mediation by external parties provided opportunities to anyone with the inclination to harness them. Continual developments in digital technology provided the ideal catalyst for the creation of the transparency organization Wiki Leaks. In June 2013, Edward Snowden released a series of classified National Security Administration documents that revealed extensive National Security Agency (NSA) foreign and domestic surveillance activities. The disclosure of US spying programs potentially threatened the government’s ability to carry out the national security activities needed to protect a democracy while Wiki Leaks deconstruct the official political rhetoric at an international level, delegitimize political actors in several countries while it provided opportunities for embarrassment for governments at both the international and domestic level. Both cases pose the more intricate question of how to weigh the democratic expectancies of free expression and the public’s right to know versus national security needs. Snowden and WikiLeaks necessitate a conceptual and methodological outline for studying the social and political implications of digital surveillance. The papers in this panel explore the politics of surveillance society, its triangular relations with journalism and security as well as the related narratives and representations.
This panel is sponsored by the “Intelligence & Cybersecurity Laboratory” and the “Strategic Communication and News Media Laboratory”, International and European Studies Department, University of Piraeus.