Covert action and cyber offensive operations : revisiting traditional approaches in light of new technology

Carruthers, W

Abstract

Over the last three years a number of significant, alleged cyber offensive operations have taken place: the North Korean operations against Sony Pictures in 2014; the BlackEnergy3 Virus which targeted Ukrainian power substations in 2015; and the cyber offensive operations that were designed to influence recent presidential elections. This thesis will investigate whether these types of operations are new or similar to activities that took place in the twentieth century, especially during the Cold War, termed ‘covert action’. Focusing on the US and British experience, and using a comparative methodology, this study will compare covert action and cyber offensive operations. It will achieve this by addressing what covert action is and what forms it takes; this will then be employed in the analysis of cyber offensive operations. The thesis seeks to establish a clear relationship between these two forms of state tactics employed against state and non-state actors. It argues that although the two forms of behaviour are linked, there is a need to modify the existing understanding of covert action; this will allow, in turn, a clearer understanding of the nature of cyber offensive operations to be developed. It is concluded that there is a need to re-examine the organisational structures of covert action, including ethical dimensions, in relation to cyber operations.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Acceptance Date: Sep 28, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 2, 2018