EU space security-An 8-Step online discourse analysis to decode hybrid threats

Area of Science:

• Security Studies
• Geopolitics
• Information Science

Background:

• Space systems are crucial for European Union (EU) safety, making space security a growing concern.
• Geopolitical dynamics and hybrid threats pose significant challenges to EU space security.
• The elusive nature of hybrid threats complicates their identification and mitigation in the space domain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop practical methodologies for identifying and mitigating hybrid threats targeting EU space systems.
• To establish a systematic approach for analyzing online discourses related to hybrid threats in EU space discussions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review using Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
• Development of an 8-step process for systematic identification and analysis of online discourses.
• Creation of a conceptual framework for Online Discourse Analysis (ODA) specific to EU space defense and security.

Main Results:

• A novel 8-step ODA framework was established for evaluating hybrid threats in EU space.
• The research highlights the importance of advanced ODA techniques for understanding emerging space threats.
• The study provides a structured approach to deciphering hybrid threats within online platforms.

Conclusions:

• Adoption of the proposed ODA methods can enhance the robustness of EU space defense strategies.
• The 8-step ODA framework offers a structured method for analyzing hybrid threats.
• Future work includes empirical validation through custom software development for threat identification.