ABSTRACT
Introduction The factor of information has been considered a significant aspect of power, diplomacy, and armed conflict for a very long time. Since the 1990s, however, information’s role in international relations and security has diversified and its importance for political matters has increased, mostly due to the proliferation of information and communication technology (ICT) into all aspects of life in (post-)industrialized societies. The ability to master the generation, management, use but also manipulation of information has become a desired power resource, as the control over knowledge, beliefs, and ideas are increasingly regarded as a complement to control over tangible resources such as military forces, raw materials, and economic productive capability (Rothkopf 1998; Nye 2010; Klimburg 2011; Betz 2012).
