Detailed Critique: Article on Deception, Cloud Resources, and Warfare

This report critically analyzes the article "Deception and Manoeuvre Warfare Utilizing Cloud Resources" by Stilianos Vidalis and Olga Angelopoulou, which explores the application of cloud computing in modern warfare, particularly focusing on deception strategies and cyber operations. The report e...Read More

Running head: CRITIQUE OF ARTICLE
Critique of Article
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Deception and Manoeuvre Warfare Utilising Cloud Resources
The paper Deception and Manoeuvre Warfare Utilizing Cloud Resources by the
authors Stilianos Vidalis and Olga Angelopoulou discusses about the operations of
Manoeuvre Warfare by utilizing the resources of cloud computing (Applegate 2012). This
paper describes that how the resources of cloud computing can be used as the part of an
information security model of 21st century that is utilized by the modern small and medium
sized enterprises. Technology is the driving force for the human society. The cloud
computing resources that are utilized by the modern small and medium sized enterprises are
operated both at the national and the international level (VIDALIS and Angelopoulou 2013).
The security of the digital assets and the implantation of the deception strategy within the
CNO or Computer Networks Operations are proved to be extremely cost effective security
controls as they do not incur huge costs. Moreover, these Computer Networks Operations are
also proved to be efficient (Taddeo 2012). The authors have described about the exponential
increment in the extremely advanced technology in terms of processing power, application
and storage that are coupled together with the organized and available knowledge through the
Internet power that is accessed by all the normal users and the agents of threat.
The implementation of the deception strategy within the design of security of the
important infrastructure of a particular business and also the threat of attack are further
counterbalanced (VIDALIS and Angelopoulou 2013). The various methods and techniques
that are developed for the warfare and the battles are required for implementation in the
virtual world. The authors Stilianos Vidalis and Olga Angelopoulou have clearly described
the reason of the deception strategy for the security of assets, threats and vulnerabilities. The
paper also helps to understand the implementation procedure of the deception strategy
(VIDALIS and Angelopoulou 2013). Threat agents are those individuals who exploit the
assets of an organization and can easily manifest a threat.

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Providing an opposition to the correct information in the incorrect time and incorrect
information in the correct and proper time can typically point for weakening the process of
decision making of a threat agent, and finally granting the superiority of information to the
respective ISO or Information Security Officer.
It is evident that Information Warfare and Information Operations are two completely
different entities (Beloglazov, Abawajy and Buyya 2012). Information Warfare can be
defined as the concept that involves the utilization and management of information and
communication technology for gaining or obtaining competitive advantages over the rival.
This information warfare mainly involves the collection of logical information or data for
performing any kind of information related operation.
Cloud Computing enables all the individuals for utilizing the platforms for software,
unlimited storage space and the applications for all the personal data that are made possible
through the Internet (Zissis and Lekkas 2012). According to Rayport ET Heyward (2009)
Cloud Computing can be defined as: “Cloud computing represents a new way to deploy
computing technology to give users the ability to access, work on, share, and store
information using the Internet .The cloud itself is a network of data centres- each composed
of many thousands of computers working together – that can perform the functions of
software on a personal or business computer by providing users access to powerful
applications, platforms and services delivered over the Internet.”
It is evident that cloud computing is the technology for secured data transferring that
is obtaining momentum throughout the industry of computing (Zissis and Lekkas 2012).
Marketing campaigns, especially on social media are introducing this term to all the non
technical people who do not any idea about cloud computing.

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In contrast to the above mentioned definitions, NIST has offered a separate definition:
“Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access
to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage,
applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal
management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability
and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment
models”.
The important terms in all the definitions are services and resources. This specifically
implies that cloud computing is a distinct model for providing relevant resources as a service
(Chen and Zhao 2012). The definition given by NIST is much more specific that provides
suitable examples of probable resources that are available to a specific entity, whether this is
an individual user or a business as well as the description of a cloud environment that may
require four deployment models and three service models. There are four types of clouds.
They are the private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud and community cloud.
The Manoeuvre Principles in cyber operations or cyber warfare are those principles
that are related to the traditional concept of manoeuvre in warfare and the probable process of
the alteration of the unique domain of cyberspace (Xu 2012). These principles also help to
understand the characteristics of manoeuvre in cyberspace and the basic defensive and
offensive forms of manoeuvre.
The cyber operations in modern environment are the most important aspects that are
ruling the entire world. With the analysis of this interpretation, it is the author‘s view that the
Information Environment is the interaction between various people in the form of decision
makers, individuals, leaders, and several organizations that have the systems, which help to
analyze, collect, disseminate, or apply information (Dinh et al. 2013). Without the proper

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mechanisms for providing the information in a particular format, which can be easily
interpreted, meaning the decision makers, who would be unable for acting and providing a
systematic response to a specific situation or problem. This is what the basis of Information
Warfare or IW is all about that eventually affects this process of decision making. According
to Waltz (1998) “Information Warfare includes actions taken to preserve the integrity of
one’s own information system from exploitation, corruption or disruption, while at the same
time exploiting, corrupting or destroying an adversaries information system and the process
achieving an information advantage in the application force.”
The impact of technology has a huge impact on the technological field of the world.
They are responsible for the overall cyber crime in the entire world. The cyber criminals have
adapted the technology quickly and utilized them for the destruction of the world. They are
continuously exploiting the unsuspecting and vulnerable users of computers (Xu 2012). The
few methods that these cyber criminals utilize are mainly traditional in nature. However, the
rest methods are the by-products of the unscrupulous members of society.

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References
Applegate, S.D., 2012, June. The principle of maneuver in cyber operations. In Cyber
Conflict (CYCON), 2012 4th International Conference on (pp. 1-13). IEEE.
Beloglazov, A., Abawajy, J. and Buyya, R., 2012. Energy-aware resource allocation
heuristics for efficient management of data centers for cloud computing. Future generation
computer systems, 28(5), pp.755-768.
Chen, D. and Zhao, H., 2012, March. Data security and privacy protection issues in cloud
computing. In Computer Science and Electronics Engineering (ICCSEE), 2012 International
Conference on (Vol. 1, pp. 647-651). IEEE.
Dinh, H.T., Lee, C., Niyato, D. and Wang, P., 2013. A survey of mobile cloud computing:
architecture, applications, and approaches. Wireless communications and mobile
computing, 13(18), pp.1587-1611.
Taddeo, M., 2012. Information warfare: A philosophical perspective. Philosophy &
Technology, 25(1), pp.105-120.
VIDALIS, S. and Angelopoulou, O., 2013. Deception and Manoeuvre Warfare Utilising
Cloud Resources. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective.
Xu, X., 2012. From cloud computing to cloud manufacturing. Robotics and computer-
integrated manufacturing, 28(1), pp.75-86.
Zissis, D. and Lekkas, D., 2012. Addressing cloud computing security issues. Future
Generation computer systems, 28(3), pp.583-592.