Warfare has shifted dramatically over the past several decades, moving away from the physical threats of conventional warfare. War now moves towards the social and ideological threats brought about by mass media and advances in technology. The advent of this new type of warfare is different from anything we have seen before. Although it takes elements from previous types of hybrid warfare, the reach and level of impact it possesses make it far more dangerous than its predecessors. We have dubbed this new way of war cognitive warfare.

Cognitive warfare, although sharing various similarities to other non-conventional and non-kinetic types of warfare/operations, is ultimately unique in its execution and purpose. In this paper, we examine the origins of non-kinetic warfare by first looking at the Cold War and the use
of psychological operations (PsyOps). We follow the evolution of warfare, noting that advancements in technology gave rise to electronic warfare and subsequently cyber warfare. As cyber capabilities continued to develop, intelligence became a growing field and information warfare started to develop. Cognitive warfare, however, goes a step further than just fighting to control the flow of information. Rather, it is the fight to control or alter the way people react to information. Cognitive warfare seeks to make enemies destroy themselves from the inside out. We define cognitive warfare as the weaponization of public opinion, by an external entity, for the purpose of (1) influencing public and governmental policy and (2) destabilizing public institutions.