An e-Estonia display. Photo Credit: E-Estonia. INTRODUCTION I have previously covered e-Estonia and the strategic risks Estonia’s e-government platforms pose for Estonian and NATO cybersecurity by presenting a ready center of gravity for adversarial cyber operations.[i] That risk is calculated against the revolutionary benefits that e-governance has brought Estonia, making the country’s administration incredibly flexible, … Continue reading Estonia’s Digital Embassies and the Concept of Sovereignty
Author: Nikolai F. Rice
The Polyopticon: Data Gathering and State Technopower
A panopticon-inspired prison. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Introduction The world is on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution.[i] This revolution is driven by the increased connectivity, reactivity, and converging nature of modern technologies. It is enabled by constant data-streams analyzed through ultramodern techniques, which allow vendors to immediately integrate analysis into product and service … Continue reading The Polyopticon: Data Gathering and State Technopower
Comparing PMCs and Their Private Force Antecedents
Battle of San Romano. Photo Credit: National Gallery By: Nikolai F. Rice, Columnist The last time private military forces were so widely employed as today, America was a confederacy without a constitution, every currency depended on the value of precious metals, and sailing ships were the fastest mode of transportation. Simply put, the two-hundred-year norm … Continue reading Comparing PMCs and Their Private Force Antecedents
Estonia’s Cybersphere as an Asset and a Vulnerability
Photo Credit: https://e-estonia.com/ By: Nikolai F. Rice Estonia’s e-governance regularly pushes the boundaries of cyber-administration. Roughly three-quarters the territory of West Virginia and a population just smaller than Maine, Estonia’s size plays to its cyber-administrative advantage.[i] The nation manages it taxes, elections, and healthcare administration almost entirely online.[ii] The unfortunate byproduct of Estonia’s rapid cyber development … Continue reading Estonia’s Cybersphere as an Asset and a Vulnerability
Private Military and Security Companies as Tools of Strategy
Photo by: Pexels.com By: Nikolai F. Rice, Columnist Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) are the modern iteration of private force. Despite a two-century anti-mercenary norm PMSC proliferation has been facilitated by global political, economic, and warfare evolutions.[i] This article briefly examines why and how the United States, Russia, and China rely on and support … Continue reading Private Military and Security Companies as Tools of Strategy