The Wilder School virtual Lunch and Learn series continues.

This month, Christopher Whytethe, Ph.D., presents “Why No Cyber ‘Shock and Awe’? The Digital Dimensions and Implications of Russia’s War on Ukraine.” Russia’s war against Ukraine has seen widespread use of digital disruption. Western sanctions have set in motion an unprecedented shift in how Russians will use the Internet. But the “cyber blitzkrieg” expected alongside Russia’s invasion of Ukraine never happened. What cybersecurity lessons can we learn from the conflict and what can we expect from Russia in the months and years to come? 

Register online.

Speaker: Christopher Whyte, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness in the VCU Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. His research focuses on the decision-making dynamics of cyber operations, the role of fringe virtual space in supporting influence campaigns and the impact of artificial intelligence on cyber conflict dynamics. He is author of nearly 30 peer-reviewed articles on these subjects and two books on cyber conflict. He is also coauthor of “Information in War,” a forthcoming book on AI and military innovation, to be published by Georgetown University Press in 2022.

Moderator: James Keck has over 40 years of successful experience in emergency management, homeland security, information technology, transportation, financial management and health care administration. He currently serves as faculty in the Wilder School’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses.