Information Warfare: Time for a redefinition

Information warfare has become an increasingly diverse field. The changes to its composition have been primarily driven by changes in technology and the resulting increased access to information. Further, it has been the progressively more diverse methods available for communication that has fuelled expanding applications for information warfare techniques into non-military environments. In order for younger generations of students to understand the place of information warfare in the larger security picture, there is a need to shift the emphasis from many of the military underpinnings to its relevance in modern society and the challenges in the commercial environment. This paper provides a platform for discussion of the sphere of information warfare and its relevance to contemporary society. Whilst the methods of information operations and the understanding of military origins have not changed, the manner in which the topics are presented and how these relate to today’s corporate environment and increasingly global society have become a new focus. The importance of this is to make information warfare relevant to today’s generation of students and to develop information strategists rather than information specialists who can function effectively on a global stage.