RAND | Monograph/Reports | Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy

RAND | Monograph/Reports | Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy: "Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy
Cover: MR-1382 | Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy

Edited by: John Arquilla, David Ronfeldt

Netwar-like cyberwar-describes a new spectrum of conflict that is emerging in the wake of the information revolution. Netwar includes conflicts waged, on the one hand, by terrorists, criminals, gangs, and ethnic extremists; and by civil-society activists (such as cyber activists or WTO protestors) on the other. What distinguishes netwar is the networked organizational structure of its practitioners-with many groups actually being leaderless-and their quickness in coming together in swarming attacks. To confront this new type of conflict, it is crucial for governments, military, and law enforcement to begin networking themselves.