Cyberspace Warfare

Select a foreign nation-state (not the United States) and describe a threat to that nation. The threat can be any of those discussed in this course (conventional threats, non-state actors, terrorism, insurgency, emerging threats, cyber, etc). Briefly provide a background of the threat, what it is, how the nation perceives the threat and how your chosen nation-state has responded to the threat. First, provide your analytical assessment (thesis) on the case. Second, you will detail the threat in a nine-section Threat Assessment format. Your assignment should be 10 to 12 pages (not including title page and bibliography), typed double-spaced in Times New Roman, 12-point font. Remember to us the Chicago Style Manual for all citations and bibliography. A minimum of 10 (10) scholarly sources are required for this assignment. Below are the required sections. Please include the section headings in red on your assignment.

OVERALL THREAT ASSESSMENT/ANALYTICAL Assessment: How much of a threat does this non-state actor actually pose to your chosen nation-state, taking everything into consideration? Is the threat successful at exerting its influence? Is the nation-state’s response effective or ineffective?

Topics:

HISTORY: This is the section where you can discuss the history of the threat and your nation’s perception and response. Discuss why and how the threat came to be. Why did it become a threat? What was its initial motivation? What environmental/societal/economic/etc. factors contributed to its formation?
MEMBERSHIP/LEADERSHIP: Who makes up the threat? Why do they participate? What is their motivation? Who are the leaders, if any? How effective are they?
STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION: How is the threat structured? Is there an organization? What is it?
CURRENT GOAL/MOTIVATION: What is the current goal/motivation of the threat entity? What is it trying to achieve? Has it evolved since its formation?
TACTICS/CAPABILITIES: What tactics does the threat employ? How capable is it? What weapons/tools does it use?
FUNDING/CONNECTIONS: Where does the threat get funding? Supplies? Weapons? Does the threat have connections to any other organizations, nation-states, etc.?
LOCATION/SCOPE/MAGNITUDE: Where does the threat operate? How broad in scope is the threat? Are they a regional threat or a global threat beyond the immediate threat to your nation-state?
COUNTERING THE THREAT: How has the nation-state countered the threat? Also, please suggest possible ways to mitigate or counter the threat. Look at alternatives the nation-state could take to counter the threat. This is especially true if the nation’s responses are ineffective. Try to think outside the box and be a little creative. I understand that you won’t have total information, but just give it a try!

If any of these sections do not apply to your particular topic for some reason, you need to at least include the required section heading along with a short explanation as to why it doesn’t apply.