Political warfare in the digital age: cyber subversion, information operations and ‘deep fakes’

ABSTRACT

The digital age has permanently changed the way states conduct political warfare—necessitating a rebalancing of security priorities in democracies. The utilisation of cyberspace by state and non-state actors to subvert democratic elections, encourage the proliferation of violence and challenge the sovereignty and values of democratic states is having a highly destabilising effect. Successful political warfare campaigns also cause voters to question the results of democratic elections and whether special interests or foreign powers have been the decisive factor in a given outcome. This is highly damaging for the political legitimacy of democracies, which depend upon voters being able to trust in electoral processes and outcomes free from malign influence—perceived or otherwise. The values of individual freedom and political expression practised within democratic states challenges their ability to respond to political warfare. The continued failure of governments to understand this has undermined their ability to combat this emerging threat. The challenges that this new digitally enabled political warfare poses to democracies is set to rise with developments in machine learning and the emergence of digital tools such as ‘deep fakes’.

KEYWORDS:

• Political Warfare
• Hybrid Warfare
• Information Warfare
• Influence Operations
• Grey Zone
• Cyber Subversion
• Espionage

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Notes on contributors

Thomas Paterson holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) at the Australian National University (ANU). In 2018 Thomas was an ANU research intern with the International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Thomas is also an active Australian Army reservist with operational experience from deployments to the Solomon Islands on Operation Anode, border protection operations with the Australian Navy as part of Operation Resolute, and most recently on Operation Bushfire Assist 2019/2020. Thomas has had work published in the Journal of Cyber Policy, The Jakarta Post, ASPI’s The Strategist, The Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter and ANU’s East Asia Forum and Policy Forum. Thomas also recently achieved third place in the Open Division for his co-authored essay submission to the Australian Defence Force’s Chief of Navy essay competition for 2019. Thomas’s views are his own and do not reflect that of the Australian Army or the Department of Defence.

Lauren Hanley holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) at the Australian National University (ANU). Lauren was an ANU research intern with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in 2019. She has previously had work published in ASPI’s The Strategist. Lauren is currently a tutor in international security at the SDSC.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.