Avskrekke hvem? Betydningen av strategisk kultur for cybersikkerhet
There is an ongoing debate in academia about if and how deterrence theory may be used in cyberspace. Deterrence was originally a theory developed for avoiding conventional and nuclear war. In the current discussion on cyber security, there has been pointed out a range of technical problems of transferring a theory about the physical world to cyberspace. We recognize these challenges of deterrence in cyberspace, but in this article we want to shed light on a different aspect of deterrence. That is the interplay between social and technical factors of deterrence in cyberspace. In this article we will discuss how deterrence as a strategy in cyberspace is influenced by the specific strategic culture of a country. We will use China as a case study to showcase our argument. Contrasts between Chinese and “Western” strategic culture results in concrete differences in how Chinese and Western countries act in cyberspace. By utilizing four components of deterrence theory (denial, punishment, entanglement and norms), we will show how an in-depth knowledge of a state’s security policy and strategic culture may be used to tailor a more effective deterrence and enforce the capacity of hindering unwanted activity.
Et ambisiøst fagmilitært råd
An assessment of the Military Advice the Chief of Defence of Norway recently submitted to the Minster of Defence.
Er Forsvaret forberedt på dagens sikkerhetsutfordringer?
Is the Norwegian Armed Forces prepared for today's security challenges?
The Military Threat to Europe
To what extent does Russia pose a military threat to Europe today? A military threat is traditionally regarded as a combination of capabilities and intentions. However, capabilities are evolving slowly while intensions may change rapidly. Russia's military modernization over the last decade has particularly strengthened its non-strategic nuclear weapons, the precision guided missiles, and the Navy.
Radicalization behind bars: Lessons and challenges from Norway and the Netherlands
How can correctional institutions and the wider society prevent radicalization behind bars?
Stater og transnasjonale motstandsnettverk: Irans mobilisering av irakiske sjiamilitser etter 1979
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a transnational network of Shi’a militias since 1979, commonly referred to as its asymmetric warfare capability and ‘strategic depth’. While it is a known fact that Iran has mobilised Shi’a militias in other countries to strengthen its regional position, how they have done it has not received much scholarly attention. The objective of this paper is to explain this phenomenon by examining how Iran has mobilised Iraqi Shi’a militias since 1979. The selected cases are the mobilisation processes of three most prominent Shi’a militias in Iraq today: Badr Organisation, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata’ib Hizbullah. Although variation exists between them, they are all cases of Iran’s network of armed resistance groups, which have allowed it to engage in covert or indirect conflict intervention in the Middle East. To logically connect the empirical data with the study’s research question, I have used a case study research design, with process tracing and the semi-structured interview as methods for data collection. Furthermore, the empirical analysis has been guided by a theoretical framework that has attempted to build a bridge between the existing literatures on state-militia dynamics and contentious politics.
Improving nuclear strategic stability through a responsibility-based approach
This brief paper brings together several critical elements and key tenets of nuclear weapons policies and postures. There is an urgent need to find mechanisms that would help turn the world’s nuclear weapons capable states from their current increasingly perilous track and provide an incentive for countries to resume discussions on shared security interests. A vital contribution would be for states to agree a globally-shared definition of Nuclear Strategic Stability that accounts for the complexities of the world today. An equally immediate agreement and adoption of the proposed Code of Nuclear Responsibility would foster a responsibility-based approach.
Is there an extremist personality? – The link between personality characteristics and violent extremism
Milan Obaidi presents research that highlights individual personality characteristics as important when trying to understand the process of radicalization.
Theory Seminar: Cyber Conflict in the study of International Relations
Max Smeets will take a closer look at the academic literature on analysing cyber conflict.
The U.S. Cyber Strategy of Persistent Engagement
How does the U.S. Cyber Command wish to position itself in cyberspace?