ABSTRACT
In wartime, cybersecurity – encompassing information security more generally – is paramount for each side in the conflict. The Snowden leaks and prior exposes starkly show that different groups can have contrary cyber vulnerabilities. When thinking of the vulnerabilities of information and communication systems, breakdowns often come to mind: component failures, power outages, natural disasters and unintentional human error that cause interruptions to normal service. In warfare, the enemy’s cyberattacks are the immediate source of vulnerability, so one option is to neutralize the enemy’s capacity for attack, for example by destroying equipment or killing personnel. Cyber vulnerability is a problem but so is unreasonable alarm about the danger. Real or imagined cyber threats can be framed in ways that change perceptions, shape policy and serve the agendas of individuals and groups. Then, communication vulnerabilities are examined with special attention to different perspectives, in particular the perspective of a repressive government and that of an opposition movement.
