News and Featured Articles

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The 2023 DoD Symposium on Information Strategy and Political Warfare (SiSPoW)

CCHT members attended SiSPoW executed by the DOD’s Information Strategy Research Center from June 28-30 at the Naval Postgraduate School. The annual three-day event gathered individual speakers, panelists, and diverse participants to address all facets of operations in the information environment, which included narratives, psychological operations, influence operations, space operations, cyberspace operations, and cognitive warfare, among many others, with a current focus on strategic competition and integrated deterrence. Read more

The Maritime Gray Zone Research Task Force (MGZ RTF)

The Naval Postgraduate School’s MGZ RTF was reestablished in early 2023 with the support from CCHT lead team. The RTF's re-establishment will continue increased collaboration of faculty and students on pertinent topics and include conversations with respective Navy / Marine Corps Staff Sections and Fleet Commands. Read more  
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Hybrid Warfare and Energy Security

The Energy Academic Group and Center on Combating Hybrid Threats have collaborated with the Global ECCO team to publish a special issue of its journal, Combating Terrorism Exchange (CTX), that focuses on the nexus of energy security, hybrid warfare, and irregular warfare. Contributions from around the world include interdisciplinary content on operational energy, NATO tabletop exercises (Ukraine’s case study), the role of energy in conflict, as well as integration of special forces in cyber operations. These are only a few of the topics that are covered in the special issue. Read the full issue of CTX here.
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NPS Launches Center on Combating Hybrid Threats to Address Hybrid Warfare

NPS PAO highlights launch of CCHT that serves as a locus for interdisciplinary research, education programs, and outreach. The center provides a great opportunity for NPS faculty and students across several disciplines as well as diverse allies and partners to tackle the problem of hybrid threats from a comprehensive, ‘whole-of-discipline’ approach in order to effectively deter emerging security challenges. Collectively, CCHT represents a potent effort in the fight against hybrid threats. If the goal of hybrid warfare is to confuse and divide, then the center should be considered a force for unity and common purpose. Read more
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Biden needs Putin in the Fight against Ransomware 

The article by Politico discusses recent cybersecurity attacks on U.S. oil supplies, which are traced to Russian cyber-criminal groups, and ways the attacks are affecting bilateral cooperation dynamics. According to Lawrence Walzer, a retired U.S. Marine and energy security expert at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, the Colonial attack showed that "certainly it’s unclear what the relationship could be between Russia and such groups." He added: "We know that they use proxies to pursue their goals, but in some ways you can look at this as: Are they providing a safe haven much like the Taliban did for Al-Qaeda?" Full content can be accessed here.
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Russia’s role in the Colonial Pipeline Attack

Mr. Scott Jasper, NSA faculty, shares his insights on Assessing Russia’s Role and Responsibility in the Colonial Pipeline Attack. He argues that Russia benefits politically from the chaos caused by cyber-attacks, and it has the power and duty to do something about this. He concludes that “In not taking decisive action to stop harmful ransomware operations, such as arresting the actors and obtaining decryption tools, the Russian government appears to be at least encouraging such activity in order to weaken the West. The Colonial disruption won’t be the last.” Full content can be accessed here
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The 2021 DoD Symposium on Information Strategy and Political Warfare

The DOD’s Information Strategy Research at NPS gathered a community of experts for the Symposium on Information Strategy and Political Warfare, June 22-24, to examine Great Power Competition for Geographic and Strategic Reach. Read more
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CCHT Supports Operational Level Energy Security Course

CCHT members provided lectures and exercise syndicate support during the virtual 22-26 March 2021 Baltic Defense College’s annual Operational Level Energy Security Course. Read more
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NPS formally establishes the Center on Combating Hybrid Threats

Dr. Jeffrey D. Paduan, Dean of Research, granted formal approval to establish the Center on Combating Hybrid Threats at the Naval Postgraduate School on 19 February 2021. Read more