Europe and Eurasia
STRENGTH ANALYSIS: European Union Civil Protection for Emergency Management
As part of a standard “SWOT” Analysis – the aspect of Collaboration is an important set of Strengths that can enhance the Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training and Exercising (POETE) to reduce or eliminate Threats and Risks for any country’s Emergency Management practitioners.
Improving Ukraine Cybersecurity Policy Defense
Now that Russia has deployed an official attack against Ukraine and invaded their territory; increased security must be launched to counter the attack. First strategy is always to protect citizens’; technology is second. Not only does the public sector need to deploy effective security mitigation strategies, so does the private sector. The combined reliance on …
Russian Cyber Warfare Tactics: Lessons Learned from the Attack on Estonia in 2007
Introduction The Russian Federation (Russia) has established a well-earned reputation for cyber warfare tactics. Their ability to sow division and increase tensions within other nations through disinformation campaigns and by being able to deny credibility has been shown time and time again (Akimenko and Giles 2020). Much of the current asymmetrical warfare going on in …
Ukraine Cyber Security Posture and Known Vulnerabilities Russia Could Exploit
Ukraine’s public and private sector computer information system vulnerabilities face potential exploitation. The culprit allegedly seeking to exploit Ukraine’s computer information systems is Russia. The collection of intelligence by journalists investigating issues encompassing Ukraine’s computer information systems and known vulnerabilities, invokes increased concern about national security. Ms. Natalia Spînu authored the Ukraine’s Cybersecurity Governance Assessment …
Destabilization in the Central African Republic
Introduction The Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered a history of conflict since its independence in 1960. The nature of this conflict is often regarded under sectarian terms. However, this fails to paint an adequate picture of the destabilization in the region. In fact, it is the trickle-down nature of this conflict from leadership as …
Challenging Global Perceptions of the United States
Introduction Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union conducted multiple covert disinformation campaigns against the United States. One such operation was the U.S. Army Field Manual 30-31B (hereinafter referred to as “FM 30-31B,” or “30-31B”) in which the Soviet Union forged a military training manual to influence the attitudes and behaviors of countries hosting American …
Russian Complicity in the Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
On August 20th, 2020, Alexei Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption advocate and fierce critic of the Kremlin rule, collapsed mid-flight on his way to Moscow from Siberia. Specialized laboratories in Germany, France, and Sweden, as well as the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) would later confirm that Navalny had been poisoned by the Soviet-era …
The Looking Mirror Why Russia Blames the United States for Meddling in its Domestic Politics
The political atmosphere during Trump’s presidency was saturated with the suspicions of Russian involvement in Trump’s victory that have culminated into the Mueller investigation and almost a thousand-page report that has not supported the conspiracy allegations. Trump’s last days in the office were not less McCarthyist and devoid of Russia rhetoric, with speaker Nancy Pelosi …
Russian Bounties Moscow’s Relationship with the Taliban and Network Analysis
Introduction In June 2020, the New York Times announced that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to target United States and coalition troops in Afghanistan (Blake 2020). If this report is true, it marks a significant shift in Russian foreign policy toward the US, and this shift would require an aggressive response from the White …
Russian Activities in Outer Space: Utilizing Decision Theory to Determine the Most Likely Space Policy
Introduction With Russia’s anti-satellite missile test in April 2020, the Kremlin reasserted its posture on international activities in space. Since the 1950s, Russia has been in some form of space competition with the United States (Baird 2013, 52-54). While most of the scientific progress during the Cold War was basic international competition, there were many …
