This paper examines the potential of using a parasitological analogy to understand how cyber warfare payloads can affect human behavior and decision-making.
The author argues that, just as parasites manipulate their hosts’ behavior, cyber warfare payloads, which can be thought of as informational “memes,” can influence individuals to adopt specific beliefs or actions. The paper explores the neurochemical mechanisms by which parasites achieve behavior change in their hosts and suggests that similar processes could be occurring in humans exposed to malicious cyber warfare payloads.
It concludes by proposing further research into the contextual factors that make individuals susceptible to these “memes,” and how to develop counter-measures to protect individuals and societies from their influence.
