Actors in society’s hybrid information environment: Grounded theory analysis

Abstract

This paper outlines the actors carrying out information and cyber operations and cyber attacks in society’s hybrid information environment. It conceptualizes these actors using content analysis, as well as a qualitative and Grounded Theory approach by studying primary open sources, such as past scientific articles, government reports, theses, public news, nonscientific (popular) studies, books, websites, TV programmes, blogs, social media outlets, and personal observations of contemporary daily events. The total sum of actor observations was 189 among where information operations, cyber operations and cyber attacks were carried out by 49, 22, and 20 different actors, respectively. The discovered 91 actors are verified and validated. The conceptual model of these actors was developed using past studies and the Grounded Theory approach. This conceptual model acted as a theory on the actors carrying out these operations and attacks in society’s hybrid information environment, and is the scientific result of this study. The practical, and managerial result is the revelation of who these actors are. Being aware of which actors are capable of such operations and attacks enables better defence of society’s hybrid information environment and improves its security.