HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHENOMENON OF INFORMATION WARS

ABSTRACT

The article is devoted to the study of the most pressing problem of our time – information warfare. It is noted that today the policy of introducing information warfare is the most important element in the policy of each state. That is why the study of the problem of information warfare is of particular importance within the framework of political science. The article provides the concept of information warfare, information confrontation and information aggression, and examines their components. The purpose of the article is to study the numerous means and methods of information warfare, which is a form of information confrontation, which is becoming today a very important tool for achieving geopolitical dominance in the international arena.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Статья посвящена исследованию самой актуальной проблемы современности – информационной войны. Отмечается, что сегодня политика внедрения информационной войны является важнейшим элементом в политике каждого государства. Именно поэтому изучение проблемы информационной войны имеет особое значение в рамках политической науки. В статье дается понятие информационной войны, информационного противоборства и информационной агрессии, рассматриваются их составляющие. Целью статьи является исследование многочисленных средств и методов информационной войны, которая является формой информационного противоборства, становящейся сегодня весьма важным инструментом достижения геополитического доминирования на международной арене.

Keywords: information warfare, science, historical phenomenon, confrontation, aggression.

Ключевые слова: информационная война, наука, исторический феномен, противоборство, агрессия.

Introduction

In modern conditions, along with the geographical space, the information space is being formed. Today, humanity lives in an information society. This is a new type of society, where the possession of information is the driving force of its transformation and development. Information rightfully changes humanity and influences the course of world events. Traditional confrontations between states are carried out both in physical and in the new - virtual, or cyberspace. The theoretical foundations for the study of information warfare were laid at the beginning of the 20th century, and since the 2000s, its new stage has begun - in connection with changes in this phenomenon in the context of modern local conflicts and the transformation of world wars into hybrid ones. The purpose of the article is to study the numerous means and methods of information warfare, which is a form of information confrontation, which is becoming today a very important tool for achieving geopolitical dominance in the international arena.

Materials and Methods

In this research, a qualitative method was preferred. A detailed investigation of the topic was conducted within the framework of primary and secondary sources. A document-based data collection technique was used in the research. The primary and secondary sources used in the study were analyzed and interpreted based on the topic, leading to the conclusion of the study.

Information Warfare from a Political Perspective

All of this underscores the relevance of studying the problem of information warfare within the framework of political science. The contradictions and conflicts between states have now extended into the information space, and this has become a reality today.

In turn, the etymology of the word "war" is defined as the organization of armed struggle between states, social classes, etc.; a state of hostility between individuals; a dispute, quarrel with someone; struggle. War is a socio-political phenomenon, a special state of society, associated with a sharp change in relations between states, nations, and social groups, leading to the use of armed violence to achieve political, economic, military, and other goals. Alongside armed struggle, which constitutes the main essence of war, economic, diplomatic, ideological, psychological, informational, and other means and corresponding forms of struggle may also be employed during wartime and in the preparatory period. [1, p. 664]

Before defining information warfare, it is important to understand the concept of information itself, which is the primary resource and content of information warfare. The term "information," derived from the Latin "informatio," means clarification or exposition of something. In general terms, it refers to the measure of the distribution of matter and energy in space and time, as well as the measure of changes that accompany all processes occurring in the world.

Information is a general scientific concept that encompasses the exchange of data and signals between living and non-living nature, as well as between people and devices. In other words, information refers to knowledge about objects and phenomena in the environment. The parameters, properties, and state of information reduce the degree of uncertainty and incompleteness of knowledge. In the theory of information warfare, it is important to distinguish between two concepts: information and data. Data, in turn, are considered as signs or recorded observations that are not used for any purpose but are merely stored. When this data begins to be used to reduce the uncertainty of the future, it transforms into information. Therefore, it can be asserted that information becomes data that is actualized. Information forms, alongside the existing field of reality, what is known as the informational field, and together with information flows, it creates the informational space.

The informational field is the totality of all information concentrated in a given volume of space-time, regardless of its forms and states, existing independently of both the object of reflection and the subject of perception. An informational flow, in a general sense, is the collection of information that moves through the informational space via a communication channel. [5, p. 399]

From an organizational and technical perspective, the structure of the informational space consists of a combination of databases and data banks, the technologies for their use, information and telecommunications systems, networks, applications, and organizational structures that operate based on specific principles and established rules, ensuring informational interaction among users and meeting their informational needs. Thus, the informational space is a dimension of confrontation where information serves as the weapon, and the struggle is aimed at a targeted change in individual and collective consciousness. The essence of the informational space is defined by the well-known scholar in the field of information warfare research, I. Panarin, as a collection of informational resources, systems for the formation, dissemination, use, and storage of information, and the informational infrastructure. [4, p. 275]

The Interconnection of Informational and Political Spaces in Society

The informational space, as a basis for the development of information warfare, is interconnected with the political space in various ways and is in constant interaction and mutual penetration with it. The political life of society always unfolds in space and time. The social space represents a branched system of social relations, which records the coexistence of a vast variety of social-objective entities and events in terms of their order, density, and degree of coverage, reflecting the real process of societal life. Being embedded in the space of the biosphere and cosmos, the social space is divided into a number of subspaces that form a system, one of the structural elements of which is the political space. This space is formed by the totality of social subjects influencing the system of state organization. Each of these subjects is characterized by a specific location of the social subject engaged in political activity, thus becoming a political subject among others like it. From this perspective, the political space can be defined as one of the fundamental concepts in the philosophy of political consciousness, a category denoting a part of the social space, the parameters of which capture the place, direction, depth, and extent of the influence of social subjects on the established system of state organization in society. [2, p. 57]

The political space acts as a peculiar matrix through which established political relationships in society are reproduced, as well as relationships to the system of state organization, the bearers of state power, and the norms of behavior enshrined in customs, traditions, and laws, along with the achieved level of political culture and systems of values. Like social space as a whole, political space has an objective character. This is evident in the fact that at any moment in the existence and development of a state-organized society, there are political subjects that relate differently to the established state structure and political power.

The political space, like social space in general, is characterized by both continuity and discontinuity. Continuity is expressed in the fact that political activity is a necessary attribute of every state-organized society at all stages of its historical development. Discontinuity manifests itself, first, in that the political activity of a specific political subject lasts for a certain period and is interrupted by the cessation of its existence. Political space is inherent only to state-organized societies.

The structure of political space consists of specialized fields, and the specificity of political space is revealed through the dynamics of the struggles that unfold in each of these fields. [6, p. 421]

Synthesizing the concepts of informational and political spaces, one can derive the integrative notion of informational-political space— a combination of subjects and objects of informational-political action and interaction; the information itself intended for use by subjects of informational-political interaction; the informational infrastructure that enables the exchange of information between subjects; and the social relations that arise in connection with the formation, transmission, dissemination, and storage of information, as well as the exchange of information within society. [3, p. 75]

Information warfare is a form or degree of development of informational confrontation. Informational confrontation refers to the competition among social systems in the informational and psychological sphere for the ability to influence certain areas of social relations and to gain control over sources of strategic resources. As a result, some participants in this competition gain advantages necessary for further development, while others lose them. Based on intensity, scale, and means, the following degrees of informational confrontation are distinguished: informational expansion, informational aggression, and information warfare. [6, p. 213]

The concept of "information warfare" was first introduced in 1985 in China. The theoretical approaches of Chinese specialists in the field of informational confrontation are based on the views of the ancient Chinese military figure Sun Tzu (5th century BC). He was the first to argue for the necessity of informational influence on the opponent. In his "Treatise on the Art of War," Sun Tzu noted: "In all warfare, the general principle is to capture the state intact... Winning a hundred battles is not the pinnacle of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting—this is the supreme excellence." [3, p. 94]

Considering modern approaches, information warfare should be viewed in two main aspects: as informational confrontation and as informational struggle, i.e., a new form of geopolitical rivalry between parties and a sphere of armed conflict.

Information warfare is aimed at achieving the goals of the country's state policy, both in peacetime and in wartime. This is a natural, objective process that has always been and will be relevant in the relations between states, regardless of the development of cooperation between them.

Informational confrontation (in the political sphere) consists of three components:

• Strategic political analysis.
• Informational influence.
• Informational counteraction.

Strategic political analysis is a set of activities aimed at gathering information about the opponent (competitor) and the conditions of informational confrontation; collecting information about one's allies; processing information and exchanging it among members of one’s political community to organize and conduct actions. The information must be current, reliable, and comprehensive.

The second component of informational confrontation is informational influence. It includes activities aimed at blocking the gathering, processing, and exchange of information, as well as the dissemination of disinformation.

The third component consists of activities related to informational counteraction (protection), which include actions aimed at unblocking information necessary for managing political processes, blocking disinformation disseminated and introduced into the system of shaping global and public opinion by competitors (opponents). [2]

Informational confrontation today can confidently be considered a product of societal development. It is a result of scientific and technological progress and the informational integration of the global community, and having emerged as an independent form of conducting foreign policy, it arose at a certain stage in the development of society. Powerful states in terms of information technology, military, and intelligence capabilities have gained new opportunities to implement their planned strategies: imposing their will on other nations and states; allowing unauthorized interference in the information infrastructure of states; and anonymously targeting opposing electronic weaponry. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the 20th century, English, German, Russian, and researchers from other countries began actively studying and formulating definitions of information warfare.

Information warfare is a set of actions taken to achieve informational superiority by damaging the information and processes based on the opponent's information systems, while simultaneously protecting one's own information systems.

Information warfare gained particular significance in the 20th century, when print media (newspapers, magazines), radio, and later television became mass media. It was in the 20th century that information disseminated through these means became widespread. Information warfare is a new field of knowledge in which there is active training of specialists worldwide.

The main goal of information warfare is to disrupt the exchange of information within the opponent's camp. It is important to note that informational weapons are generally not used to inflict casualties; however, in some cases, this is not excluded. In this sense, technological advancements have ultimately led us to a bloodless war while simultaneously creating exceptionally effective weapons. These weapons do not target the population; instead, they incapacitate the state mechanism [7, p. 385].

Conclusion

Currently, the study of information warfare, its emergence and development, forms of manifestation, and methods of implementation is highly relevant. Investigating the numerous means and methods of information warfare, which is a form of informational confrontation, is becoming an essential tool for achieving geopolitical dominance on the international stage and simultaneously serves as a certain guarantee for building an effective system of information security. On the other hand, the relevance of this study is heightened by the threat of new forms of political extremism that will be based on the use of modern types of information warfare.

References:

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