Security expert Aran Dharmeratnam looks at hybrid warfare.

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We find ourselves living in an era of the spectral frontline- an ongoing state of hybrid conflict where the objective isn't simply to seize territory, but to colonise the psyche. This borderless disease manifests through public angst, jagged social divisions, and a grinding erosion of national unity.

This isn’t just about physical sabotage- like the targeting of RAF Brize Norton or scoping out vulnerable underwater cables or hospital systems- it’s about induced uncertainty. Tactics can include tried-and-tested forms of craft from a colder era, including honey traps and the exploitation of other vulnerabilities. There's also a creative side to hybrid tactics, such as sporadic, relentless cyber tactics, the ignition of cultural frictions, the instigation of financial crises, and the unperturbed penetration of popular culture and powerful establishments.

The cast of characters in this shadow play may perform on a vast stage, but it's still more crowded than we care to admit. Certainly, the usual state actors are there, but they're joined by a motley crew of opportunists: organised crime syndicates, radicalised fringes, wealthy algorithmic tech architects, isolated terror cells and even dark esoteric sects. Sometimes, these entities interlink in intricate ways- an unholy alliance of the high-tech and the sanguine to ensure disharmony becomes our "normal" state.

The Grey Zone of Cognitive Warfare

The slow-grinding dissonance that seeps into society also creates a domestic recruitment ground, turning at-risk individuals and street-level criminals into low-level assets seeking a sense of........

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