A4 Article in conference proceedings
Actors in Society's Hybrid Information Environment : Grounded Theory Analysis (2020)
Mustonen-Ollila, E., Lehto, M. J., & Heikkonen, J. (2020). Actors in Society's Hybrid Information Environment : Grounded Theory Analysis. In T. Eze, L. Speakman, & C. Onwubiko (Eds.), ECCWS 2020 : Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (pp. 268-277). Academic Conferences International. Proceedings of the European conference on information warfare and security. https://doi.org/10.34190/EWS.20.121
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Mustonen-Ollila, Erja; Lehto, Martti J.; Heikkonen, Jukka
Parent publication: ECCWS 2020 : Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security
Parent publication editors: Eze, Thaddeus; Speakman, Lee; Onwubiko, Cyril
Conference:
- European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security
Place and date of conference: University of Chester, UK (virtual conference), 25-26.6.2020
ISBN: 978-1-912764-61-7
eISBN: 978-1-912764-62-4
Journal or series: Proceedings of the European conference on information warfare and security
ISSN: 2048-8602
eISSN: 2048-8610
Publication year: 2020
Pages range: 268-277
Publisher: Academic Conferences International
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34190/EWS.20.121
Publication open access: Not open
Publication channel open access:
Abstract
This paper outlines the actors carrying out information and cyber operations and cyber attacks in society’s hybrid information environment. It conceptualizes these actors using content analysis, as well as a qualitative and Grounded Theory approach by studying primary open sources, such as past scientific articles, government reports, theses, public news, non-scientific (popular) studies, books, websites, TV programmes, blogs, social media outlets, and personal observations of contemporary daily events. The total sum of actor observations was 189 among where information operations, cyber operations and cyber attacks were carried out by 49, 22, and 20 different actors, respectively. The discovered 91 actors are verified and validated. The conceptual model of these actors was developed using past studies and the Grounded Theory approach. This conceptual model acted as a theory on the actors carrying out these operations and attacks in society’s hybrid information environment, and is the scientific result of this study. The practical, and managerial result is the revelation of who these actors are. Being aware of which actors are capable of such operations and attacks enables better defence of society’s hybrid information environment and improves its security.
Keywords: hybrid warfare; information warfare; cyberwarfare; cyber attacks; cyber security; agents (actors); grounded theory
Free keywords: hybrid information environment; actor; information operation; cyber operation; cyber attack, Grounded Theory
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2020
JUFO rating: 1