Information and Warfare, Essay Example

Perhaps the most interesting part of this lesson was the way in which it showed how reliant people are on technology. The author mentions that everyone has seen their workplace become automated to some degree. Home life has also become more automated and communication has been revolutionized by technology. Sharing information used to take much longer when people relied on “snail mail” rather than e-mail. Even phone calls often take longer than a simple e-mail. From business ventures, to shopping to personal correspondence, the world has become dependent on new technology. This reliance has opened us up to new vulnerabilities. Now, in order to attack us, enemies need only to steal or corrupt our data. Also interesting was the discussion in this chapter over the differences in the terms “information” and “intelligence.” Information, according to the other, is passive data while intelligence refers to active data that is being processed and is relevant to a particular context.

The discussion of Information Operations was also compelling, because it showed how valuable information is to battle. The fact that commanders need such information to increase visualization in the battlefield, improve designs, speed up operations and synchronize them is rather incredible. While movies and TV shows often focus a great deal on intelligence gathering, this lesson shows that gathering intelligence (or information) is merely one step in the intelligence process. Just as important is the dissemination and synchronization of such information.

One interesting concept regarding this synchronization is the “Common Operating Picture” (COP). Those involved in creating the COP are tasked with storing and sharing information so that everyone who needs to be involved in a particular process has the same information and goal. The idea behind this is to let actors use information in a timely, but coordinated fashion. This requires the hard work of people and the use of machines. It is an interesting blend. Another interesting part of this lesson was the section on the media’s influence on warfare. According to the authors, public opinion has begun to influence state actions more than ever before. The media helps shape public opinion and therefore wields immense power over debates over warfare.