Vol. 19, Núm. 1 | 1º semester (january-june) | Published: 1/1/2021

Monographic coordinators: Rubén Arcos, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain) | Center of Excellence to Counter Threats Hybrids (Finland) 

Malicious activities in the information domain by state, non-state, and state-backed threat actors are an essential part of hybrid threats and operations. Political warfare, active measures, and covert action are not new, but ICT and digital communication tools and channels provide unprecedented opportunities for conducting coordinated hostile activities that exploit the vulnerabilities of our democratic societies for different aims.

The cyberspace is acknowledged as a domain of operations where digital communication channels can be exploited in targeted campaigns against individuals, institutions, and societies by the means of information and decision-making influencing. While the communication content of symbolic interactions in social media platforms has varying degrees of visibility, coordinated unauthentic behaviours and the use of cyber-proxies challenge detection and attribution. The weaponization of information by hybrid threat actors can adopt multiple forms and raises the question of how to prevent, counter, and respond to it without undermining the democratic rights and liberties of our societies.

This special issue aims to address hybrid threats from a digital communication perspective, understanding the strengths and the vulnerabilities to hybrid threats of our digital ecosystems and societies, the processes, methods, and tools by which they can be exploited in coordinated campaigns and activities, and how to counter malicious strategic communications and influence.