Beginning with how a top secret agency (SOE) accomplished its dangerous task during World War II of coordinating subversion and sabotage against the enemy by any means necessary - using disguise, deception, bribery, explosives (sometimes disguised as objects such as a dead rat or a bottle of chianti) guerrilla warfare - and even assassination, the research highlights the crucial role of information in national security and how information has been strategically used to influence decisions, manipulate perceptions and gain advantage in a variety of areas, from military warfare to economic and political competition. The research also highlights that in the context of globalization and technological advancement, information has become a key strategic resource, as important as material or human resources. The ability to control the flow of information, to disseminate correct information or misinformation and to protect one's own information has become a determining factor in the success or failure of any strategic action. Thus, the research highlights the various forms of the use of information as a weapon such as information warfare, media warfare, cyber warfare, electronic warfare, influence operations, counterintelligence and emphasizes the importance of developing robust national information security strategies that include measures to protect, detect and respond to information threats. It also emphasizes the need for public education on information literacy and resilience to disinformation. In conclusion, the research demonstrates that information has been and is a fundamental component of power, and understanding and strategically managing it is essential for the security and prosperity of any entity, be it state, organizational or individual. It also, in this context, emphasizes the need to train specialists capable of understanding the importance, effectively managing and properly using this ”weapon” - information.
Tănase et al. (Thu,) studied this question.