In the process of evolution, human society has become increasingly aware of the value, significance and effectiveness of information, not only as a tool of knowledge
the world around and the basis for building communication links, but also how powerful instrument of consolidation, creation, but also as an incredibly effective all-destructive weapon, in its power, sometimes surpassing all known types of weapons.
In prehistoric and ancient times, one of the ways of demoralization arose enemy – a battle cry that acted as a way to demonstrate one’s determination gain victory, a way of demonstrating their numerical superiority (or imitation of this superiority at the expense of loudness). Over time, information confrontation became more diverse and sophisticated, taking into account features of the object of influence – the human psyche. In addition, they changed
methods of informational impact from the primitive verbal initially, to the complex organized, complex impact using all the main
communication channels.
Alexander the Great – IV century. BC), used frightening standards,
masks, sound accompaniment of military operations (drum roll, gong, etc.),
The expression “Trojan horse” has become a professional saying of intelligence officers for designation of an operation to disinform the enemy, followed by his military defeat. The great commanders did not neglect such informational weapons, like rumors: Hannibal for a long time spread rumors about a new disease in the camp of his
fighters, thereby weakening the vigilance of the opponent, in other situations he spread rumors about the invincible power of the new weapon, contributing to the formation of enemy psychological readiness for defeat.
In the 20th century, information confrontation acquired even more sophisticated forms and took advantage of innovative developments in the field
communication, social technologies, and scientific and technological progress. Often
political propaganda took such aggressive and harsh forms that
resembled an information war against its own people.
In Soviet Union technology of information confrontation against an external enemy, Hitler’s
Germany were used during the Great Patriotic War and then retained their relevance during the Cold War.
In the 21st century, experts have already been able to identify several traditional and modern varieties of information countermeasures, in the form of information warriors: command and control, aimed at channels
communications between command and executors with the aim of destroying the control system; reconnaissance warfare – gathering militarily important information (like an attack)
and protection of one’s own; electronic warfare directed against electronic means communications – radio communications, radar stations, computer networks;
psychological warfare – propaganda, brainwashing, information processing
population, including the undermining of civil spirit, the demoralization of the Armed Forces, disorientation of command and war of cultures; hacker war, implying sabotage against civilian electronic objects of the enemy and protection from them (actions against the military are regarded as electronic warfare), which can
lead to large-scale and hard-to-recover costs – total
paralysis of various kinds of networks (electrical, electronic, communication), introduction of random errors and computer viruses into data transmission,
unauthorized connections to networks and their covert monitoring in order to blackmail; economic information warfare, which has two forms – information
blockade (blocking of channels of commerce and communication) and information imperialism (part of the general policy of economic imperialism); cyber war in
different from “ordinary” hacking, involving the capture of computer data, allowing to hunt down the enemy (or blackmail him).
This kind of “communication technology” is gradually penetrating from international political arena to the business environment. Modern “wild market” received new resources, and, accordingly, there will be a demand for specialists who
these technologies. Knowledge in the field of modern information wars willin demand not only in the training of journalists, but also specialists in the field of
public relations, advertising, as well as state and municipal
management.
The ability to navigate the intricacies of modern crisis information and communication interaction, knowledge of the technology of maintaining “information warrior,” the ability to resist “information attacks,” and avoid manipulative influences from opponents or competitors, involve the mastery future journalists and specialists of the State Medical University following general professional
competencies:
- the ability to navigate the global trends in the development of the media industry,
know the basic principles of the formation of media systems, the specifics of various types of media,
features of national media models and the realities of the functioning of the Russian media,
be aware of the most important innovative practices in the field of mass media
(OPK-2); - the ability to take into account psychological and psychological
socio-psychological components of the functioning of the media, features of work
a journalist in this aspect (GPC-10); - the ability to solve standard tasks of professional activity on based on information and bibliographic culture using information and communication technologies and taking into account the basic requirements of information security (OPK-22).
This tutorial is intended to be an advanced and effective
studying the course “Information wars” and includes additional material to
lecture topics. The methodological part of the manual includes questions for independent studies on selected topics, as well as a glossary.
