The Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare

Hacking Humans: The Next National Security Threat

Patrick Neal — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Dr. Neal’s presentation focused on the immediate need for the security environment to focus on the moral, ethical, and practical threats emerging from the new hybrid warfare battlefields that are being created due to the expanding use of technological augmentation in humans. As these technologies expand, there are new national security threats facing numerous actors, including individuals, such as a potential ability to manipulate their own bodily data or from civil unrest as society changes; organizations, such as new markets for organized crime to exploit; and states, such as the possibility of another state hijacking augmentation devices in its population. Dr. Neal emphasized the need for the security industry to think ahead and begin to consider preemptive measures before these technologies advance in order to maintain control over their application and mitigate risks.

^{Received: 07-04-2024}

^{Revised: 08-03-2024}

An Overview of the Intelligence Entreprise in Canada

John Gilmour — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Dr. Gilmour's presentation highlighted critical gaps in Canada's intelligence enterprise, particularly the disconnect between intelligence analysts and policymakers, and the inadequacy of the current framework in addressing evolving threats like hybrid warfare and non-traditional security issues. He emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation, education, and structural changes within the intelligence community to effectively tackle these challenges. Additionally, Dr. Gilmour stressed the importance of fostering stronger public-private partnerships to leverage the private sector's capabilities in countering modern threats.

^{Received: 08-10-2024}

^{Revised: 08-26-2024}

The Inextricable Relationship Between Nuclear Energy and the Bomb

M.V. Ramana — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Dr. Ramana’s presentation focused on issues of nuclear energy, the risks it poses, the factors that make it unsuitable as a source of clean energy across the world, such as the challenge of disposing nuclear waste in a safe and sustainable manner, and the links the technology has to nuclear weapons and proliferation. Dr. Ramana spoke to the probability of states with nuclear energy capabilities pursuing a weapons program with ease, emphasizing the significant overlap between the technology used for nuclear weapons and energy.

^{Received: 09-01-2024}

^{Revised: 09-07-2024}

In-between Spaces: Unconventional Yet Essential Considerations for Defence and Security

Gitanjali Adlakha-Hutcheon — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Dr. Adlakha-Hutcheon discussed dualities between obvious pairs such as defence and security; science and technology; and the physical and virtual worlds and questioned at what point does one become the other? Whether these were truly distinct or continuums with messy middles. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand the middle/liminal spaces between pairs in order to more effectively identify and address security threats. This is apparent when one takes the example of established/emerged and emerging technologies (AI and emergence of generative AI like Chat GPT). Technologies have different impact and implications based on the context of their use, for instance the extent of positive or negative disruption that ensues upon their use. Thus, to address complex problems, it is necessary to look for disruptors in “in-between” spaces.

^{Received: 10-08-2024}

^{Revised: 11-02-2024}

Spectacle Violence Actors

Candyce Kelshall, Sam David, Millie Harron, Evan Kryski — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

This panel argued that spectacle violence actors are often conflated under the typology of terrorist and that evidence suggests this creates blind spots in the identification of actors as well as difficulties in interruption or interdiction for law enforcement. Using an assessment of 44 case studies ranging from 1985 to the present day, they concluded that there are four distinct typologies of spectacle violence actors. A new assessment model was used to better define the motivations of violent actors. This case study and new model were used to address existing justifications for these acts and offer avenues for mitigation, rather than labelling all spectacle violence acts under the universal umbrella of “terrorism".

^{Received: 10-03-2024}

^{Revised: 10-30-2024}

Local Water Security

Corinne Schuster-Wallace — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Dr. Schuster-Wallace examined how environmental changes, particularly those driven by climate change, contribute to inequities, noting that shifting hydrological patterns, such as precipitation variability and glacial melt, strain both natural and human systems and affect water quality and availability. The speaker also discussed the risks associated with aging centralized water infrastructure. She pointed out the cascading economic, health, and social impacts that arose from water scarcity and the local conflicts that might emerge in such situations. The presentation emphasized the need for adaptive, collaborative water management strategies that involved cross-disciplinary cooperation, community engagement, and tailored, strengths-based policies.

^{Received: 10-05-2024}

^{Revised: 10-22-2024}

CANADA AND ECONOMIC SECURITY: THE WAY AHEAD

Stéphane Lefebvre — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

In August-September 2024, Global Affairs Canada held public consultations on “Potential New Measures to Advance and Defend Canada’s Economic Security Interests.” The inputs provided will help the Government of Canada update or develop approaches and measures that would advance Canada’s economic security interests. The following analysis and recommendations were submitted by the author in response to the call for expert views on the subject. The author argues that, in addition to public consultations, Canada still needs a strategic framework to think about national security, prosperity and economic security in a comprehensive, whole-of-governmet fashion and makes five specific recommendations. Canada should: 1. Develop, promulgate and implement a whole-of-government National Economic Security Strategy; 2. Undertake an in-depth intelligence-based all-source threat assessment of foreign economic threats to Canada, including an unclassified version for Canadians, prior to deciding on the measures to be taken in the National Economic Security Strategy to secure Canada’s economic security and prosperity; 3. Undertake a full cost analysis of the gains and losses to the Canadian economy and individual economic security from the applications of all the measures delineated in the National Economic Security Strategy; 4. Undertake an in-depth analysis of how allies and other states would respond to the implementation of a new National Economic Security Strategy (taking into account the best, worst and most likely outcomes) and develop options, to be included in the Strategy, to mitigate the risk of harmful outcomes; and 5. Consider developing a National Industrial Strategy and an International Trade Strategy alongside or as key components of the National Economic Security Strategy.

^{Received: 09-24-2024}

^{Revised: 10-25-2024}

Fighting on Quicksand: How Corruption Weakens State Capacity in War

Nathan Decety — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

This paper explores whether corruption negatively affects the outcomes of interstate conflicts. Applying quantitative methods on about 200 years of data suggests that more corrupt countries are less likely to win interstate wars and more likely to suffer a higher ratio of combat losses in those wars. The rot of corruption thus likely affects one of the main duties of the state: public defense.

^{Received: 09-02-2024}

^{Revised: 09-27-2024}