The belated is merely annoying; all the people now fussing about Kremlin interference in last year’s U.S. presidential election seem to think this was the first instance of Russian political warfare. In fact, it was just the latest and most conspicuous. Hardened participants in the struggle for freedom and democracy in and around Russia should remind their newfound allies in Hollywood and elsewhere in bien-pensant America that plenty of other countries have been attacked over the past 25 years.It is also worth pointing out that the information warfare tactics being used in America are just one part of the Kremlin arsenal. Russia has long used a whole range of other tactics against its adversaries—ranging from military intimidation to economic pressure—via abuse of the legal system, cyber-attacks and subversion.The big worry, though, is that the West’s reaction, though commendable, is out of date. NATO, for example, has woken up to its problem in the Baltic states and Poland. It has drawn up contingency plans, positioned trip-wire forces there, and holds regular exercises. That has diminished the danger of a successful, surprise Russian attack. It has also dispelled the idea that the eastern allies are “NATO-lite” countries the alliance has no real intention or capability of defending.
Watch out: Russia’s tactics will evolve | CEPA
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About the Author: Brian Ray
Professor Brian Ray has extensive experience in eDiscovery, information governance and data privacy. He and Candice Hoke created and serve as Co-Directors of the Center for Cybersecurity and Data Privacy at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where they are Professors of Law. Brian co-founded, with Tim Opsitnick of Jurinnov, the Cleveland eDiscovery Roundtable, an informal group of lawyers, judges and academics that meets monthly to discuss issues surrounding electronic discovery, cybersecurity and data privacy issues. Professor Ray is a member of the Sedona Conference's International Electronic Information Management, Discovery and Disclosure and Data Security and Privacy Liability Working Groups.
Professor Ray also is an expert in international and comparative law. His book, Engaging with Social Rights: Participation, Procedure and Democracy in South Africa's Second-Wave (forthcoming Cambridge 2016) provides a comprehensive analysis of the South African Constitutional Court's social rights decisions. He has served as a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa and has published extensively on the law of human rights.
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