How Digital Technologies are Redefining Warfare and Why It Matters

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Presented at hack.lu 2023 by

Mauro Vignati

Cyber capabilities have been used for military purposes for more than two decades. But the digital operational area of States is no longer limited to cyber operations. In line with the global trend toward digitalization of our societies, armed forces around the world are developing innovative strategies to exploit the digital sphere in more complex ways than ever before. As a result of these developments, the line between civilians and combatants as well as between civilian objects and military targets, is in danger of becoming blurred. In particular, it is now easier than ever to involve civilians in military cyber operations and to harm them using these means. And the more the military is relying on cables, satellites or clouds that are originally designed for civilian use, the more likely it becomes that this infrastructure will be exposed to harm during armed conflicts, with significant adverse consequences on civilians.