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Analysis of the impact of Russia's armed actions on Finland's security: towards NATO membership
Křížová, Eliška ; Kazharski, Aliaksei (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
This diploma thesis focuses on Finland's assessment of the Russian Federation as a possible threat to its security in the context of Russian armed actions - war in Georgia, annexation of Crimea and a conflict in eastern Ukraine, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine from 2022. The aim of this thesis is to investigate Finland's shift from military non- alignment to balancing behaviour in the form of application for NATO membership after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In addition to rigorous overview of the balance of threat theory, its critiques and refinements including operationalisation of threat dimensions, the thesis includes a section devoted to the evolution of Finnish security. Special attention is paid to the history of Finno-Soviet relations during the Second World War and the Cold War, which influenced Finland's security and defence policy for decades to come, especially in regard to NATO membership, which was for a long time seen as unlikely. The analysis of Finland's security is written with an emphasis on variables of balance of threat theory and their role in Finnish security assessment of the potential threat from the Russian Federation throughout the years after war in Georgia to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Given Finland's recent accession to...
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Digital identity
Dvořák, Roman ; Burda, Karel (referee) ; Zeman, Václav (advisor)
This bachelor‘s thesis deals with the personal digital identity area. Its goal is to describe accompanying technologies which ensure the course of this field. In addition, another goal is to describe the state of things in related sectors. At first, attention is focused to basic concepts and terms describing this topic. The following section describes technologies which are used in area of digital and bank identity. In the next chapter, the emphasis is on explaining terms linked with digital identity and the structure of public eGovernment, followed by the description of e-identity. In this chapter, the identification means, provided by the government or commercial sector, are more explained. The same applies to the identification means provided by the government, but which are not considered as e-identity. Another chapter is dedicated to European Digital Identity and its current state, followed by mentioning states which have used digital identity before it was made mandatory by the regulation from European Commission. The following chapter explores security threats, their enumeration and classification according to different criteria. It mentions types of cyberattacks, threats associated with using digital identity and elimination of the threats. The point of view is taken from user’s experience, but from providers as well. The last chapter describes the practical part which is an educational web application that summarizes the output of this bachelor’s thesis.
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Organized crime and security : drug cartels : the global capacity of a rising security threat
Ibáñez de Foerster, Marcela ; Balabán, Miloš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Over the last four decades organized crime groups, particularly, drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels, have managed to be under the spotlight of the security agendas of American countries such as Colombia and the United States. During the last two decades, however, the global securitization of the drug trafficking issue, has led them to become a major security threat not only for the Americas, but also for Europe and more recently for West African countries. These organizations pose a threat not only to the security of the state, but to the very essence of it, by corrupting and damaging everything they come in contact with at the political, social, economical and even cultural level. This graduate thesis presents an analysis on Latin American drug trafficking organizations or drugs cartels, as they are commonly known, focusing on the cases of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. By comparing these two case studies, I suggest that today's Mexican drug trafficking organizations have gained their momentum and incommensurable strength by following the footsteps of the big three Colombian drug cartels that existed between the 1980s and 1990s. The first chapter will expose the definitions and concepts surrounding the research of organized crime. In the second and third chapters, both the...
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Citizens on the situation in Ukraine - June/July 2023
Červenka, Jan
In a survey conducted during June and July 2023, the Center for Public Opinion Research asked a set of questions about the conflict in Ukraine. The research sought to find out whether people are interested in the development of the situation in Ukraine and whether they consider it to be a security threat to the Czech Republic, Europe and world peace, how citizens feel about the government's actions in support of Ukraine and how they assess possible measures by the international community.
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Citizens on the situation in Ukraine - February/March 2023
Spurný, Martin
In a survey conducted during February and March 2023, the Center for Public Opinion Research asked a set of questions about the conflict in Ukraine. The research sought to find out whether people are interested in the development of the situation in Ukraine and whether they consider it to be a security threat to the Czech Republic, Europe and world peace, how citizens feel about the government's actions in support of Ukraine and how they assess possible measures by the international community.
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Criminological Aspects of Organised Crime
Klusáčková, Karolína ; Scheinost, Miroslav (advisor) ; Hořák, Jaromír (referee)
Criminological Aspects of Organised Crime Abstract The aim of this thesis is to comprehend the topic of organised crime in its entirety and to create an overview that will help to understand this phenomenon in the context of the contemporary world. The thesis analyses the phenomenon primarily from the criminological point of view but also from the criminal law point of view. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part is a general treatise on organised crime. The second part pursues organised crime in the Czech Republic. The first chapter deals with the concept of organised crime from several perspectives. In addition to the legal and criminological definition, it also explores how this concept is defined in foreign literature. Furthermore, this chapter introduces the concept of transnational organised crime, the understanding of which is crucial for current criminology. At the end of the chapter, the differences between certain types of group criminal activities are explained. The author would like to highlight significance of the second chapter, which examines the subjects of organised crime, because chapters focused on victims and perpetrators are rather sporadic in the literature on organised crime. One of the subchapters is dedicated to the criminal organisation itself - it states what types...
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Fake news as a security and political issue today
Hadbavniková, Ivana ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Charvát, Jan (referee)
The topic of this diploma thesis is fake news as a current security and political problem. The term fake news is not officially codified. This diploma thesis will mainly focus on the theoretical definition of the term fake news and its differentiation from similar terms with which it's often interchanged incorrectly. Furthermore, this thesis will focus on social media, which can be used to spread fake news, as well as on the methods used for distinguishing fake news in the online world. The term fake news is also often connected with the term hybrid threat also referred to as a possible tool of the hybrid war, therefore this thesis will dedicate a section to these concepts and their critique. Fake news as a security and political issue will be observed within the example of the Czech Republic based on the selected definition of fake new with focus on the influence of Russia. First, actors who are possibly responsible for spread of fake news within the Czech Republic will be mapped, after which four specific websites and their reporting on certain news events in connection with Russia in the period from March 2020 until present will be examined.
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Digital identity
Dvořák, Roman ; Burda, Karel (referee) ; Zeman, Václav (advisor)
This bachelor‘s thesis deals with the personal digital identity area. Its goal is to describe accompanying technologies which ensure the course of this field. In addition, another goal is to describe the state of things in related sectors. At first, attention is focused to basic concepts and terms describing this topic. The following section describes technologies which are used in area of digital and bank identity. In the next chapter, the emphasis is on explaining terms linked with digital identity and the structure of public eGovernment, followed by the description of e-identity. In this chapter, the identification means, provided by the government or commercial sector, are more explained. The same applies to the identification means provided by the government, but which are not considered as e-identity. Another chapter is dedicated to European Digital Identity and its current state, followed by mentioning states which have used digital identity before it was made mandatory by the regulation from European Commission. The following chapter explores security threats, their enumeration and classification according to different criteria. It mentions types of cyberattacks, threats associated with using digital identity and elimination of the threats. The point of view is taken from user’s experience, but from providers as well. The last chapter describes the practical part which is an educational web application that summarizes the output of this bachelor’s thesis.
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Genesis of Russian propaganda as a serious security threat of the 21st century from the perspective of NATO and EU
Stejskalová, Jana ; Kučera, Tomáš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
The thesis entitled "Genesis of Russian propaganda as a serious security threat of the 21st century from the perspective of NATO and EU" examines the phenomenon of contemporary Russian propaganda. Russia commonly uses propaganda as a tool of promoting its interests. Russian propaganda is very sophisticated, aggressive, and massive. Mainly due to the effective use of the internet and social networks, Russian online actors are able, in a short space of time, to successfully generate an information chaos, which is difficult to navigate in. Contemporary Russian propaganda has several key aspects, namely the anti-American and anti-European orientation, attacks on Western democratic values, and the mixing of truth with fiction. Thus, propaganda becomes an effective weapon in the information war that the Kremlin has initiated. The West is aware of these alarming issues and tries to respond. The thesis analyzes the development of the perception of the Kremlin propaganda by the Western international security organizations NATO and EU. At the same time, it attempts to identify the moment when Russian propaganda began to be perceived as a serious security threat. Whereas the key of the analysis is to interpret the perception of Russian propaganda, the concept of securitization was chosen as the theoretical...
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Genesis of Russian propaganda as a serious security threat of the 21st century from the perspective of NATO and EU
Stejskalová, Jana ; Kučera, Tomáš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
The thesis entitled "Genesis of Russian propaganda as a serious security threat of the 21st century from the perspective of NATO and EU" examines the phenomenon of contemporary Russian propaganda. Russia commonly uses propaganda as a tool of promoting its interests. Russian propaganda is very sophisticated, aggressive, and massive. Mainly due to the effective use of the internet and social networks, Russian online actors are able, in a short space of time, to successfully generate an information chaos, which is difficult to navigate in. Contemporary Russian propaganda has several key aspects, namely the anti-American and anti-European orientation, attacks on Western democratic values, and the mixing of truth with fiction. Thus, propaganda becomes an effective weapon in the information war that the Kremlin has initiated. The West is aware of these alarming issues and tries to respond. The thesis analyzes the development of the perception of the Kremlin propaganda by the Western international security organizations NATO and EU. At the same time, it attempts to identify the moment when Russian propaganda began to be perceived as a serious security threat. Whereas the key of the analysis is to interpret the perception of Russian propaganda, the concept of securitization was chosen as the theoretical...
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