Supporting Resistance Movements in Cyberspace

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of United States Special Operations Forces’ (SOF) core missions is support to unconventional warfare (UW). As SOF continues competing with states below the level of armed conflict, it must adapt to and capitalize on advances in technology to enable support to resistance movements. Other states, namely Russia, have capitalized on digital technologies in their undeclared, hybrid conflicts. The U.S., which will likely find itself on the other side of those conflicts, must rethink and update how it supports resistance movements. We suggest why to make this change now, and in the process offer cyber-based proposals that could be employed in support to resistance