Information warfare: an analysis of the phenomenon

Abstract

Abstract. Information warfare is based on different material phenomena and aims to influence the material world in a certain way. However, it also includes an equally necessary and important – ideal – constituent, which is rooted in psyche of individuals, human communities and is usually reflected outward, perceived, introduced into life and organized through relevant use of language, through visualization, etc. My research is devoted to the logical and philosophical analysis of this particular constituent of information warfare.

Social networks and electronic media, more widely – the Internet is almost the most important field for conducting the ideal component of information warfare today. Professional trolls and bots organized into "troll factories" and "bot farms" pose a great informational danger in the Internet. Their main product is the mass delivering of made-to-order (dis)information. For this, a set of fictitious "creatures" is produced – an "army of informational puppet-soldiers" with certain names and profiles in social networks.

Traditionally, publishing under a pseudonym is an acceptable or even legal way to protect the life and other rights of an author. The situation acquires new dangerous character when human activity moves into cyberspace massively, especially under condition of information warfare. Here, the use of pseudonyms provides not only anonymity, but also mass production of the "information puppet-soldiers" by trolls and bots.

In this research, some elementary ways to identify trolls were found. Together with fact checking, they are useful to protect against malicious informational influences, but are not always sufficient. This is so in the cases where, in particular, a deliverer of disinformation, trying to avoid clear deception, employs different logical tricks. Here one cannot do without of at least the basics knowledge of logic and some skill in critical thinking. This requires strengthening and renovating the mass teaching of these disciplines in schools and universities.

It is emphasized that an effective national system of conducting the ideal component of information warfare should combine groups of special officers of the competent state structures, specialized media workers, as well as relevant public organizations and individual information volunteers. But ideally, everyone should be educated to give himself or herself at least first aid against disinformation.

Key words: information warfare, ideal constituent of information warfare, Internet, troll, troll identification, "information puppet-soldiers", logic, critical thinking.