We will keep it simple and clear: Cyber risk must be seen as part of hybrid risk.
There are still companies and organisations that consider cyber risk a technical risk. But even the most advanced organizations must adapt and build their risk management framework on the foundation that we now operate in a fundamentally different world—one where cyber risk is a core component of hybrid risk. The old mindset is dangerously outdated. Today, cyber operations are embedded in economic warfare, political conflict, supply chain disruption, and military strategy. Cyber risk today is not just about protecting networks, it’s about protecting societies from hybrid threats.
A hybrid risk management framework should identify primary cyber threats, map their cascading effects on financial, legal, and business operations, and develop cross-functional response strategies.
For centuries, Newtonian mechanics was considered a complete and stand-alone framework for understanding motion and forces. It worked well for most practical applications but failed to explain phenomena at very small (quantum) or very large (cosmological) scales. Eventually, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics showed that Newtonian physics was just a subset of a much broader and more complex reality.
Similarly, cyber risk has traditionally been seen as a stand-alone issue, much like Newtonian mechanics. However, just as physics evolved to integrate quantum and relativistic perspectives, cyber risk must now be understood as part of the larger hybrid risk environment, where cyber operations interact with economic, political, military, and psychological dimensions.
Instead of thinking “cyber risk”, decision-makers should think “hybrid risk with a cyber component”, to develop a more realistic and effective response strategy. Governments and organizations must recognize that cyber risks are part of a larger conflict strategy, not standalone risks. Defense strategies must address the full spectrum of hybrid threats, not just cybersecurity in isolation.
Cognitive Warfare.
Cognitive warfare is a form of conflict that targets human perception, decision-making, and cognitive processes to achieve strategic objectives. It seeks to manipulate how individuals and societies think, react, and behave, often leveraging advanced psychological techniques, artificial intelligence, and digital communication tools.
Unlike traditional warfare, which relies on kinetic force, or cyber warfare, which targets networks and infrastructure, cognitive warfare attacks the human mind itself. It exploits biases, emotions, and mental vulnerabilities.
With cognitive warfare, adversaries influence public opinion by shaping societal narratives, undermine trust in governments, institutions, and democratic processes, influence the decisions of individuals and policymakers, creating confusion and division within societies and organizations, and weaponize information through disinformation and propaganda.
Perception management is the deliberate shaping of how individuals interpret reality. It is often achieved through selective exposure to information, misinformation, and psychological manipulation.
Techniques include framing (presenting information in a specific way to influence interpretation), narrative control (shaping public discourse around specific themes), and confirmation bias exploitation (reinforcing pre-existing beliefs through targeted content).
Cognitive warfare can destabilize companies, organizations, and governments. Democracies are particularly vulnerable due to open information environments. With free speech and expression it is easier for adversaries to use cognitive warfare to weaken alliances and fuel internal divisions.
Cognitive resilience is the ability to maintain rational thinking, critical judgment, and emotional stability in the face of psychological manipulation, misinformation, stress, or cognitive warfare tactics. It encompasses the capacity to resist disinformation, propaganda, social engineering, and influence operations while continuing to make sound, well-informed decisions.
In the era of cognitive warfare, developing cognitive resilience is as critical as cybersecurity, protecting not just digital infrastructure, but the integrity of human decision-making itself.
Cognitive warfare represents the next frontier in modern conflict, where battles are fought not just over land, sea, or cyberspace but over the minds of individuals. It is a powerful tool in hybrid warfare, capable of reshaping perceptions, influencing behaviors, and destabilizing entire nations.
Learning from the Hybrid Resilience Initiative (HRI).
News and updates from the Hybrid Resilience Initiative (HRI) can be found in the monthly newsletter of Cyber Risk GmbH, a comprehensive publication exceeding 80 pages each month. The newsletter provides in-depth insights on hybrid warfare, cyber espionage, and resilience strategies. You can download it at no cost, with no registration, subscription, or commitment required at:
https://www.cyber-risk-gmbh.com/Reading_Room.html