Cyber and Influence Operations for Novices: A Guide

Cyber and Influence Operations for Novices: A Guide

Kyle Wolfley, a research fellow at the Modern War Institute (MWI), has shared his recommendations for books that offer valuable insights into cyber and influence operations. While Wolfley does not have a published list, his talks, writings, and MWI resources often highlight the following titles:

1. "Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It" by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake provides a comprehensive overview of cyber warfare, covering state and non-state actors, as well as strategies for defense.
2. "LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media" by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking offers a deep dive into influence operations, misinformation, and the strategic use of social media in modern conflict.
3. "The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age" by Adam Segal offers valuable insights into how nations conduct cyber operations and espionage, essential for understanding geopolitical cyber conflict.
4. "Information Operations: Warfare and the Hard Reality of Soft Power" by John F. Schmitt covers influence operations more broadly, including strategic communication, propaganda, and cyber-enabled information warfare.
5. "Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War" by P.W. Singer and August Cole, while a work of fiction, is widely used to illustrate future cyber and influence warfare concepts in a military context.

Wolfley encourages readers to supplement these books with military and government reports, strategic documents, and current research on influence operations from think tanks and academic sources.

In addition to his work at MWI, Wolfley is a strategist at US Army Cyber Command and the author of "Military Statecraft and the Rise of Shaping in World Politics". His views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.

Other notable works in the field include Ben Buchanan's "The Hacker and the State," which offers a careful study of how cyber operations are poor signals of coercion and are more effective in collecting intelligence and setting the conditions to support other activities. Thomas Rid's "Cyber War Will Not Take Place" challenges the prevailing wisdom that digital attacks would generate destruction analogous to nuclear weapons or cause the next Pearl Harbor. Rid's work highlights George Kennan's concept of "political warfare".

Jonathan Gottschall's "The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human" argues that narratives can deeply influence human behavior, even more so than works of nonfiction. The book explores the human preference for danger and conflict during playtime, and how ideas expressed in various forms of art have influenced major conflicts in history.

Orson Scott Card's novel, "Ender's Game," highlights the role of information in competition and combat, and reveals how maneuver commanders could integrate cyber-enabled influence into operations to shape the battlefield.

Thomas Rid's new book, "Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare", explores the subversion logic mentioned in his previous work, "Cyber War Will Not Take Place".

The image credit for this article is "Christoph Scholz". Wolfley was recently asked to contribute to a War Books edition on cyber and influence operations.

1. Kyle Wolfley, a research fellow at the Modern War Institute (MWI), highly recommends the book "Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It" by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake for its detailed overview of cyber warfare and strategies for defense.
2. Wolfley's recommended reading list also includes "LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media" by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking, which delves into influence operations, misinformation, and the strategic use of social media in modern conflict.
3. Adam Segal's book, "The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age," is another valuable resource according to Wolfley, providing insights into how nations conduct cyber operations and espionage.
4. John F. Schmitt's "Information Operations: Warfare and the Hard Reality of Soft Power" is recommended by Wolfley for its coverage of influence operations, including strategic communication, propaganda, and cyber-enabled information warfare.
5. P.W. Singer and August Cole's novel, "Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War," is a work of fiction that is often used to illustrate future cyber and influence warfare concepts in a military context.
6. Wolfley suggests supplementing these books with military and government reports, strategic documents, and current research on influence operations from think tanks and academic sources.
7. Ben Buchanan's "The Hacker and the State" is another notable work, offering a study of how cyber operations are poor signals of coercion and are more effective in collecting intelligence and setting the conditions to support other activities.
8. Joshua Gottschall's "The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human" is recommended by Wolfley as it explains how narratives can deeply influence human behavior, even more so than works of nonfiction, and how ideas expressed in various forms of art have influenced major conflicts in history.

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