Navigating the Risks of Hybrid Warfare: Cyber, Cognitive, and Information Threats at the Brink of Conflict

Hybrid warfare, with its integration of cyber, information, and cognitive domains, represents a significant challenge to modern security paradigms (Marsili, 2022). This paper examines the risks associated with engaging in hybrid warfare, focusing on activities that exploit the grey zone between peace and armed conflict. The study highlights how cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, and cognitive manipulation are employed to destabilize adversaries without crossing the threshold of conventional war (Marsili, 2023). By addressing the complexities of decision-making in this environment, the analysis underscores how these unconventional tactics blur the lines of conflict and exacerbate risks for both state and international security. The paper further explores the implications of these hybrid threats for armed forces, particularly in countering operations that remain below the threshold of war, and the evolving legal and strategic responses required to confront these challenges.