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The 5G Technology Nexus: Assessing Threats and Risks of Implementation
La Rosa, Giampaolo ; Špelda, Petr (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
The new 5G technology, next generation of telecommunication and mobile network, is all around the world in course of inspection and inquiry for its astonishing novelty, from new services to functions and scalability. However, every technology brings alongside new possibilities and new threats scenarios, especially in this case where the impact on the present network is promised to be massive, with brand new features allowed by 5G, like Internet of Things, widespread virtualization and huge leap forward in rapidity and capability of the mobile transmission. An increase in the network surface, considered as more connections, more devices connected and more traffic load of data, will expand also the possible entry point and fault exploitable by a malevolent actor, raising common concern about the technology. The deployment of such a technology on European soil, especially in some states of the Union, caused uproar and critics primarily in the security field. Following a global trend, but also leading a best practice approach, the EU developed a series of mechanisms and agencies that are challenged to oversees the gradual shift from old 4G LTE to 5G. In this paper a Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) framework is used to analyse the criticalities of the new technology. Definition of...
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Russian Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine: Comparative Analysis of Two Cases and Identification of Critical Elements in the Successful Application of Hybrid Tactics
Starodubtseva, Albina ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Solovyeva, Anzhelika (referee)
After the military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, and the swift, bloodless annexation of Crimea, the international community recognized Russia as an expert on hybrid warfare. However, the ongoing conflict in Donbas unleashed by Moscow during the second less successful hybrid campaign remains a sore point not only for Ukraine but also for Russia which has to cope with costly consequences in order not to lose in the East of Ukraine and more importantly in its undeclared war on the West. This thesis conducts a comparative analysis of two Russian hybrid warfare models: (1) in Crimea; (2) in Eastern Ukraine, and focuses on the following research questions: Why was the Russian hybrid warfare in Crimea more successful than in Donbas? What measures can the state take to improve its ability to face hybrid attacks? The findings reveal that despite the presence of a set of common factors, the different degrees of success and outcomes of both cases are attributable to the fact that successfully employing the full spectrum of hybrid warfare, is actually bound not only to a number of prerequisites but also with specific favorable features of the conflict zone and several critical elements. While hybrid tactics vary depending on country and region, it is built on exploiting the enemy's vulnerabilities, the...
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Beyond State-Sponsored Disinformation: Understanding the Emerging Threats
Neads, Simone ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Špelda, Petr (referee)
Disinformation poses a clear security threat to institutions and society as a whole, as it has been shown to increase insecurity, radicalization and polarization. Currently, there are many different understandings of this phenomenon which creates barriers to finding solutions. The initial objective of this thesis is to provide an overview of the different conceptions in order to formulate an inclusive understanding of disinformation. This will then be used to test three hypotheses: that disinformation is not a new phenomenon, that it is not only state sponsored, and that technology has allowed for the recent inundation in campaigns. Through a case study analysis this thesis concluded that not only were all of these hypotheses verifiable, but that based on the discussion, it can be expected that disinformation will become increasingly prevalent. The finding suggest that it will be possible for even non-securitized actors to start campaigns, making them harder to identify. Additionally, technology will allow narratives to be increasingly targeted. These narratives are amplified by the systemic problems with social media that benefit outrage and shocking content. The thesis concluded that it may be possible to address disinformation proactively.
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The Role of Constitutional Courts in Maintaining Political Stability in Latin America
Langhammerová, Šárka ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Lipovský, Milan (referee)
This thesis concerns the role of constitutional courts in maintaining stability in the country. The thesis first of all introduces the connection between the concepts of stability, security and democracy. With the help of the general theory of disputes and conflicts formed by Shonholtz and the definition of the various roles that courts can play with respect to a political system, this thesis attempts to outline how courts can contribute to security and stability in the country or how they, on the contrary, can disrupt it. In the practical part, the thesis focuses on the region of Latin America. Using the examples from selected countries (Bolivia, Venezuela and Argentina), this work tries to demonstrate the effect of decisions of constitutional courts on stability and security. Crucial in the assessment of their stabilization role is if the courts are able to evoke civic trust in a democratic system and if they have the ability to protect the system effectively. The role of courts in selected cases is assessed using the functional analysis.
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The Hybrid Nature of Jabhat Al-Nusra through the lens of its magazine Al-Risalah
Fedeli, Nicola ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Habel, Philip (referee)
Nicola Fedeli Dissertation Abstract With most literature focusing on IS's Dabiq and Al-Qaida's Inspire, little attention has been devoted to analysing the propaganda output in English of more localised jihadist groups such as Jabhat Al-Nusra. Often described simplistically as a mere extension of Al-Qaida in Syria due to its ideology and affiliation, the group's evolution and strategy displayed characteristics that can make it a third way between IS's extremism and AQ's cautiousness. The paper analyses Jabhat Al-Nusra's English language magazine Al-Risalah to assess its relationship with the two leading jihadist groups worldwide. On the one hand, the information campaign against IS is examined to determine the causes of friction and affinities with the group as they emerge from the magazine. At the same time, articles and images in Al-Risalah are explored to highlight the patterns of the relationship between JAN and its parent organisation AQ. In particular, the research focuses on detecting potential signs of preference diversion and loose command and control that Byman (2014) identified as the key obstacles undermining mergers and acquisitions in the jihadist world. The research combines multiple layers and subjects of analysis in order to evaluate whether results from Al-Risalah are consistent with the...
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Reconstructing Identities in Fake News: Comparing two Fake News Websites
Ely, Nicole ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Špelda, Petr (referee)
TOPICAL ANALYSIS OF FAKE NEWS 4 Abstract Since the 2016 US presidential campaign of Donald Trump, the term "fake news" has permeated mainstream discourse. The proliferation of disinformation and false narratives on social media platforms has caused concern in security circles in both the United States and European Union. Combining latent Dirichlet allocation, a machine learning method for text mining, with themes on topical analysis, ideology and social identity drawn from Critical Discourse theory, this thesis examines the elaborate fake news environments of two well-known English language websites: InfoWars and Sputnik News. Through the exploration of the ideologies and social representations at play in the larger thematic structure of these websites, a picture of two very different platforms emerges. One, a white dominant, somewhat isolationist counterculture mindset that promotes a racist and bigoted view of the world. Another, a more subtle world order-making perspective intent on reaching people in the realm of the mundane. Keywords: fake news, Sputnik, InfoWars, topical analysis, latent Dirichlet allocation Od americké prezidentské kampaně Donalda Trumpa z roku 2016, termín "fake news" (doslovně falešné zprávy) pronikl do mainstreamového diskurzu. Šíření dezinformací a falešných zpráv na platformách...
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The Critical Dilemma of Turkish Foreign Policy in the 21st Century Between East and West: The Repercussions of Changing Turkish Foreign Policy on Security Alliances in Local, Regional and Global Level
Baydemir, Selami ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Aslan, Emil (referee)
Unrestricted Abstract The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War resulted in dramatic changes in the international arena, and the American-led liberal hegemonic order declared its triumph against Warsaw Pact which it had struggled against since the post-World War II era. However, this newly formed unipolar international political system intrinsically contained the nucleus of the transition period to the ascendant multipolar world order. On the contrary to static characteristics of the Cold War period, the post-Cold War atmosphere was more dynamic. Therefore, the United States had been trying to adapt itself to these challenging circumstances at the crack of dawn of a multipolar world order which will be based on power struggle against global and regional rivals like Russia, China, India, the European Union, Iran or Turkey. In this regard, countries such as Turkey, who would like to obtain tangible benefits from these global and regional vacuums of power as a result of power struggle among various countries which is imminently stemming from rivalries in the new global context, review their traditional security alliances and seek new foreign policy alternatives in order to balance these power relations and to adapt themselves to the new international situation. Hence, this thesis focuses on...
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Explaining Ethics Convergence: The Case of Artificial intelligence
Miotto, Maria Lucia ; Špelda, Petr (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Maria Lucia Miotto Master Thesis Abstract in English Although more and more works are showing convergence between the many documents regarding the ethics of artificial intelligence, none of them has tried to explain the reasons for this convergence. The thesis here proposed is that the diffusion of these principles is due to the underlying action of an epistemic community that has promoted the spread and the adoption of these values. Then, through network analysis, this thesis describes the AI ethics epistemic community and its methods of value diffusion, testing for the most effective. Then, to test the first result, two case studies, representative of political opposites, the United States and the People Republic of China have been analysed to see which method of diffusion has worked the most. What seems evident is that scientific conferences remain a primary factor in the transmission of knowledge. However, particular attention must also be given to the role played by universities and research labs (also those of big tech-companies) because they have revealed to be great aggregators for the epistemic community and are increasing their centrality in the network.
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Different challenger , different response? Comparative analysis of Russia's reaction to outside influence in Kazakhstan and Ukraine
Vasilieva, Vladyslava ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
This diploma thesis is focused on the analysis of Russian foreign policy towards Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The actions of the external players, namely the US (NATO), the EU and China are discussed in order to see how these foreign entities can modify Russia's actions in its backyard. The current state of affairs demands a careful examination of Russian foreign policies. As Russia has demonstrated in Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, it is willing to protect its interests at any cost. Thus, it was decided to analyze whether the foreign involvement in Kazakhstan would provoke Russian aggression. The primary aim is to provide a complex examination of Russian involvement in Kazakhstan and Ukraine along with the increasing influence from external players. This thesis is expected to contribute to the existing research on Russian foreign policy by providing an essential background for future researches as well as by presenting previously incomparable cases. This work presents a significant historical background that provides a reader with the in- depth analysis of Russia's relations with Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Geopolitical, military, economic, social factors are analyzed to present a broader perspective of the regional interconnections. Thus, this work analyzes how Russia has established its dominance in the...
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