Lennart Maschmeyer

Lennart Maschmeyer discusses subversion as a tool of power, the impact of cyber capabilities, challenges in evaluating cyber subversion success, and the limitations of using it for regime change. The conversation highlights the need for a balanced approach in understanding cyber capabilities.

Lennart Maschmeyer, a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, dives into the murky world of cyber warfare and subversion operations. He challenges popular narratives around Russia's Hybrid War, emphasizing the limits of such tactics and their often overestimated effectiveness. Maschmeyer highlights historical examples, like the Prague Spring, to illustrate how covert influences can falter. He also warns about the repercussions of disinformation in democracies, stressing that these operations, while subtle, have far-reaching implications in our modern geopolitical landscape.