[LINK] Head Information Warfare – breakfast - Tues 21 Sept 2021 [Canberra]

[Tom Worthington]

On 14/8/21 2:52 pm, Frank O'Connor wrote:

> ... last few, many would argue, paranoid years ...

Online, at least, we are in a new cold war. Australian government,
industry, and university systems are under frequent cyber attack. It is
not always possible to work out if this is common criminals, state 
sponsored, or a combination of the two. But these are people who do not
have our interests at heart.

> … their kids being first in line to die if we go to war ...

The current thinking is "grey zone" competition. This is fought with 
fishing boats and coast guards, rather than battleships. The causalities 
are low, but there is always the risk of escalation: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey-zone_(international_relations)

Also there is the competition for hearts and minds. In 2018 I was
invited to speak at the national computer conference in Colombo*. So I
proposed a Colombo Plan 2.0, which would train future leaders of the
region online. Rather than confrontation, I suggested this would 
"complement" China's Belt and Road Education Plan.
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2018/10/changes-needed-in-higher-education.html

* Colombo seems to be a venue for cold war dialogue. It is still where 
the Colombo Plan Secretariat is. On my first visit to Colombo I found my 
hotel full of colonels and people in dark suits, short haircuts with 
American accents, taking part in a regional "communications" conference. 
On the second visit there was a Taiwanese trade delegation in the hotel, 
while outside a Japanese aircraft carrier was tied up at the Chinese 
owned port. https://blog.tomw.net.au/2018/10/new-port-city-colombo.html


-- 
Tom Worthington, https://blog.tomw.net.au/2018/10/new-port-city-colombo.html