Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy

John Arquilla · David Ronfeldt

Nov 2001 · Rand Corporation

About this ebook

Netwar-like cyberwar-describes a new spectrum of conflict that is emerging in the wake of the information revolution. Netwar includes conflicts waged, on the one hand, by terrorists, criminals, gangs, and ethnic extremists; and by civil-society activists (such as cyber activists or WTO protestors) on the other. What distinguishes netwar is the networked organizational structure of its practitioners-with many groups actually being leaderless-and their quickness in coming together in swarming attacks. To confront this new type of conflict, it is crucial for governments, military, and law enforcement to begin networking themselves.

Ratings and reviews

Excellent analysis of how network organization and new communication technologies are empowering nonstate actors in modern conflicts.

Chapter 9 is extremely relevant for social movements' theory

About the author

John Arquilla (Ph.D., Political Science, Stanford University) is a RAND consultant and a professor of foreign policy at the United States Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

David F. Ronfeldt (Ph.D., Political Science, Stanford University) is a senior social scientist at RAND whose research focus includes information revolution, netwar, cyberocracy, strategic swarming and the rise of transnational networks of nongovernmenta