This lecture was recorded live on November 7, 2022 at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C..

About the Lecture

Information warfare is an essential part of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) defense doctrine. The PRC uses cyber to carry out information operations. Washington should analyze the PRC’s cyber attacks on Taiwan to understand its cyber capabilities and intentions against the United States. This presentation will analyze the PRC’s 2020 attack on Taiwan’s telecom and gas sector, its 2021 attack on Taiwan’s financial sector, and its disinformation operations regarding COVID-19. These attacks reveal that the PRC is likely to attack the United States’ critical infrastructure sector as a way to halt vital services and psychologically degrade the American public’s trust in the government. Additionally, the PRC’s attacks on Taiwan reveal that the PRC is successful at attacking adversaries on the narrative battlefield by using social media.

Today, the United States is not prepared to successfully counter or prevent such attacks. This presentation will explain the four actions the United States needs to perform to curb PRC cyber attacks and information operations in the cyber domain: encourage the private sector to develop a robust cybersecurity system through incentive mechanisms, use the principle of reciprocity for actions the government will take against the PRC if cyber attacked, pursue long-term offensive cyber measures such as network reconnaissance against the PRC, and educate the public on PRC disinformation capabilities through a nationwide public affairs campaign.

About the Speaker

Gillian Hand is a current graduate student at The Institute of World Politics and is set to graduate in December of 2022 with a Masters in Statecraft and National Security Affairs. She is currently working as an analyst at Rockwood Company where she helps government clients work through complex problems to achieve mission success. She has extensive experience in research and analysis through completing several national security research projects for high-ranking government officials. Her areas of expertise include emerging threats and China studies. At IWP, she has focused heavily on understanding how to properly implement the tools of statecraft and create an integrated strategy. Gillian has spent substantial time studying abroad in China to improve her Mandarin skills. She earned her B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. She is also a National Military Foundation Scholar (2021) and Association of Former Intelligence Officers Scholar (2021).

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