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512. Risks of Intelligence Pathologies in South Korea
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- A failure of intelligence on the Korean peninsula-the site of the world's highest concentration of military personnel with a history of fraught, sometimes violent, sabre-rattling-could have catastrophic consequences. Yet the South Korean intelligence community has revealed its susceptibility to three types of pathologies-intelligence failure, the politicisation of intelligence, and intervention in domestic politics by intelligence agencies-which bring into stark relief the potential for grievous miscalculation and policy distortions when addressing the threat from North Korea. Moves by intelligence agencies to recover or bolster their reputations by compromising sensitive information have compounded the problem. Efforts are needed to reform the South's intelligence capacities, principally by depoliticising its agencies and ensuring adequate legislative and judicial oversight. Lawmakers and bureaucrats also need to fulfil their responsibilities to protect classified information and refrain from leaking sensitive intelligence for short-term personal political gains.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Intelligence, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- Asia, South Korea, and Sinai Peninsula
513. Before "DarkSeoul" Becomes "DestroySeoul"
- Author:
- Ye Ra Kim
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies
- Abstract:
- Growing dependence on ever evolving information technology and continuous occurrence of cyber- attacks against nations demonstrate the need for solid security strategy in cyberspace. South Korea, a country keen to explore benefits brought by the Internet, has suffered a heavy blow from a series of North Korea's cyber-attacks in the past. This paper analyzes the 2013 March 20 cyber-attack against South Korea in detail and sheds light on the fast developing cyber capabilities of North Korea. The severity of the March 20 attack which simultaneously targeted major banks and broadcasters in the country spread panic through South Korea. The malware used in the attack was later nicknamed "DarkSeoul" because of the repetitive use of the term in the malware programming source. The attack illustrates the changing nature of the conflict on the Korean Peninsula, reflecting the need for a new concept of national security in which cyberforce plays a critical role.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Science and Technology, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Asia, South Korea, and North Korea
514. John Anderson's Data Mining Mission to Sumatra in 1823: When Method Creates the Object
- Author:
- Farish A. Noor
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Today the term 'data mining' is used in both academic and non-academic circles, though the practice is neither novel nor new. This paper looks at the data collection mission led by John Anderson on behalf of the British East India Company in 1823, and considers if it is possible to collect data in a purely objective, neutral manner. Though John Anderson was careful in his writing, and sought to communicate his findings in a dry, objective fashion, his own subject-position as a functionary working for the East India Company stands out in his account of the mission to Sumatra. This paper argues that the process of data collection is seldom ever a truly neutral enterprise, and that in the framing of the object of analysis, the cultural and socio-economic subject-position of the researcher/analyst is always present, rendering it impossible for there to ever be a truly objective work of research/analysis. In this respect an appraisal of Anderson's work today is also relevant for contemporary scholars who may likewise attempt an 'objective' approach to their work, and it reminds us that the method often constructs the object under scrutiny.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Science and Technology, and Communications
- Political Geography:
- Asia
515. Gobal Cooperation in Cyberspace: Report from the World Cyberspace Cooperation Summit IV
- Author:
- Sarah Stern
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- It is our pleasure to share with you highlights of our recent World Cyberspace Cooperation Summit IV, the East West Institute's first cyber event in Silicon Valley. We welcomed more than 360 participants from 37 countries from business, government, technology, policy and law en - forcement, with the goal of forging clear paths ahead for practical solutions. We were thrilled to host this summit with the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), IEEE Communications Society, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Palantir.
- Topic:
- Globalization, International Cooperation, Science and Technology, and Treaties and Agreements
516. Resetting the System: Why highly secure computing should be the priority of cybersecurity policies
- Author:
- Greg Austin and Sandro Gaycken
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- As state-sponsored intrusions and high-end criminal activity in cyberspace have evolved, they are producing novel kinds of risks. Our present security paradigms fail to protect us from those risks. These paradigms have tolerated inherent structural security deficits of information technology for too long; they create the impression that policy is simply captive to this highly vulnerable environment. A new remedy favored in some countries seems to be active defense, but this emerging preference may be ineffective and more dangerous than helpful.
- Topic:
- Globalization, Intelligence, Science and Technology, Communications, and Infrastructure
517. Too Abstract to Be Feasible? Applying the Grounded Theory Method in Social Movement Research
- Author:
- Ina Peters
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Abstract:
- Grounded theory methodology (GTM) has become a popular approach in the social sciences. Based on an iterative research design and reconstructive hermeneutic procedures, it enables scholars to reveal and comprehend patterns of understanding that are reproduced through linguistic and nonlinguistic symbols. Yet the vast literature on GTM often leaves scholars wondering how the method can be operationalized. This paper serves the dual purpose of providing a precise and comprehensive review of GTM sensu Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin while at the same time discussing its application in a social movement research project. Done thoroughly, GTM demands high levels of reflexivity, transparency, and openness from the qualitative scholar. I propose that these requirements concern not only the sampling and data collection but also the researcher's previous assumptions, transcription, translation, and data quality. As the latter aspects are frequently neglected, the paper calls for more accuracy in the application and documentation of research methods.
- Topic:
- Science and Technology, Sociology, and Social Movement
518. Margins, Gravity, and Causality: Export Diversification and Income Levels Reconsidered
- Author:
- Karsten Mau
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Abstract:
- The paper shows that the relationship between GDP per capita and levels of specialization can be predicted differently depending on whether the intensive or the extensive margin is considered. It shows that at the extensive margin countries continuously diversify their exports and that cross-sectional patterns can be captured well by a gravity equation. Prior studies documenting nonmonotone patterns with respecialization appear to have obtained their results from sample-selection bias, the omitted log-transformation of the income variable, and the neglect of control variables. Furthermore, results from dynamic panel analyses (system GMM) suggest that causality goes in both directions, with income having a contemporaneous impact on diversification, while the feedback effect of diversification on GDP per capita may be delayed. This pattern fits into theoretical rationales that view diversification as driven by technology or efficiency and where diversification generates additional revenues as it proves to be persistent.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, and Science and Technology
519. Amphibious Shipping Shortfalls
- Author:
- Maren Leed
- Publication Date:
- 09-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Abstract:
- For those in the amphibious operations business, these are tough times. Amphibious ships—the "work horse of the fleet" — are in short supply, and demand for the capabilities they bring to the table shows no sign of abating. Navy and Marine leaders, the Department of Defense, and the Congress are actively engaged in managing the risks that result from this gap in capability, though they are by no means unique to amphibious ships, the Navy, or the joint force more broadly.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Cold War, and Science and Technology
520. Is There a Role for Mobiles to Support Sustainable Agriculture in Africa?
- Author:
- Batchelor Simon, Scott Nigel, Valverde Alvaro, Manfre Cristina, and Edwards David
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- This paper from the Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on ICTs for Sustainability (ICT4S 2014) reviews findings from detailed consultation with 50 global experts in Agriculture and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). The study explores how ICTs (particularly mobile phones) could be used to accelerate the uptake of sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper develops a detailed conceptual model, built around the smallholder farmer, for understanding the flow of information through the agriculture sector.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Human Rights, Human Welfare, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- Africa