Information: South Torbia

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The Republic of Torbia, also known as South Torbia, has a thriving and relatively free media environment, with freedom of speech and loyalty to the country.  South Torbian Information Warfare (INFOWAR) capabilities will continue to grow in both equipment and training of personnel, and will rely on Western nations to help continue the modernization of this capability.  Internet and television are state of the art and the most important form of media in South Torbia.

Satellite Telecommunications

South Torbia possesses a wide range of satellite capabilities, with most suited for dual-use by the South Torbian military. Currently, South Torbia operates eight commercial telecommunications satellites utilizing Ku-band and Ka-band transponders in a geostationary orbit, all powered by solar array panels. These commercial satellites may be used to support military operations when necessary. Additionally, the South Torbian military operates three communication satellites using Ku and C band transponders. The satellites are in a geostationary orbit powered by solar array antenna. The South Torbian government also leases Ku, L, and SHF bandwidth from commercial satellite companies that support government and military operations when necessary.

Navigation

Currently, South Torbia operates three navigation satellite systems using L-band transponders. The combined systems create a network of navigation services and provide regional coverage of the Asia-Pacific region. The three satellites are each 120° apart, in a highly inclined, slightly elliptical geosynchronous orbit. Because of this inclination, they are not geostationary, making their ground traces appear in an asymmetrical figure-eight pattern designed to ensure that one is almost directly overhead of South Torbia at all times. When necessary, South Torbian military units purchase off the shelf commercial GPS receivers for navigation support. There are currently plans to launch a fourth satellite to enhance the accuracy of the system in the near future.

Public Communications Media

South Torbia’s public communications sector was historically dominated by TV, but in recent years the Internet has made considerable inroads into this area, especially among more urban, young, and educated populations. Television, radio, and print media are developed and mature, policed by relatively soft governmental censorship. The Internet is the freest of spaces, and social media is the preferred outlet for reporting of uncensored news, along with interpersonal communication.

Internet

The Internet in South Torbia is considered excellent for the region, despite a digital divide between rural and urban areas. Planning for the future includes the upgrade of Internet broadband speed in rural areas to be raised from five megabits per second (Mbps) to 20Mbps and up to 100Mbps in urban areas after completion.  In addition, mobile phone access is increasing providing internet service for the younger generation and rural users. Despite relative Internet freedom, mockery of the government by South Torbian users can result in arrest and detention. The South Torbian government view is that as long as Internet activity does not threaten South Torbian government interests, it is allowed, but mockery or criticism is forbidden. Censorship for all media, particularly the Internet, is predominantly carried out on the orders of the Torbian Communications Standards Commission (TCSC).

Almost 43 million South Torbians, or over ninety percent of the South Torbian populace, use the Internet on a daily basis. The South Torbian populace uses the Internet at work and home for business and personal use. Social media has increased the amount of users in the past few years and will continue to gain importance as it is less regulated by the government than the web. In addition, messaging services are in demand through the Internet as well to communicate with family and friends. Additionally, free Wi-Fi is offered in over 1,500 public spaces across the country, including train stations, airports, libraries, health centers, and community centers.

The Internet in South Torbia is provided by four main Internet Service Provider (ISP). These four providers have very close associations with members of the government ensuring any future developments will remain with them. The monopolizing of the service ensures that any outside business will fail trying to enter into the Internet provider system.

Television

Television in South Torbia is the most mature and pervasive media, but with the introduction of the Internet it is slowly declining, especially among the younger generation. There are two national networks, South Torbian Broadcasting System (STBS) and Manila Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), as well as over 50 local stations that cover the entire country. The Torbian Broadcasting System (TBS) is the largest of the national networks and collects an annual licensing fee, around $40, from all television set owners. Most South Torbians subscribe to digital cable, satellite or Internet Protocol TV (IPTV).  Additionally, South Torbia has one educational broadcasting system (EBS). Approximately 15 million, or thirty percent of the populace, own a television.

Radio

South Torbia maintains a number of public and private radio broadcasters done over AM, FM, and shortwave bands. There are 61 AM, 130 FM and 2 shortwave stations operational in South Torbia. The top four radio networks are a combination of private and public broadcasters. In South Torbia, even private broadcasts have significant ownership links to the key government officials and are generally unlikely to report adverse material about the government. The introduction of Internet radio is a new source for broadcast to the populace mainly used by the younger generation.

Print Media

South Torbia maintains a remarkably large print media establishment with over 30 national and local dailies available in a variety of languages.  The South Torbian press benefits from the availability of a highly literate audience, the adult literacy rate is estimated to be over 97 percent. Many of the newspapers are owned by a conglomerate of industrial businessmen who rely on large corporations for advertising revenues. Freedom of the press and speech is guaranteed by the constitution, but a defamation law exist that provides for prison sentences and prompts self-censorship by journalist. Journalist may also face direct pressure from the government on issues or topics considered politically sensitive in nature, such as national disaster and how the government responds to the disaster.

Telephone

The telephone infrastructure in South Torbia is one of the most advanced in the region. The continued advancements in the mobile phone infrastructure with speed and dependability of services are outpacing the fixed main line infrastructure. There are currently over 30 million fixed main lines in use, these are mainly used by businesses and the government, while the home use of fixed main lines are declining in popularity. Fixed main lines are supported in the country by the use of seven submarine fiber optic cables connecting South Torbia with key regional countries, as well as satellite earth stations in major urban cities. South Torbia is slowly transitioning from fixed main line to Internet Protocol (IP) telephone infrastructure for business and government telecommunications operations.

Mobile phone subscribers in South Torbia continues to grow each year, outpacing the fixed main line subscribers. There are currently over 60 million mobile phone subscribers and subscriptions are expected to grow by five to ten percent each year. There are three main mobile phone service providers in South Torbia, with ST Telecom being the largest with over 55 percent of the business. With the younger generation relying more and more on mobile phone services to have independence and freedom to communicate whenever and wherever they want, the mobile phone industry will only continue to grow in popularity and services.

Postal/Courier

South Torbian postal and courier systems are generally well-established, reliable, and capable of moving significant amounts of freight throughout the nation. There are two types of postal facilities in South Torbia: standard post offices and the larger distribution centers. Distribution centers offer a wider range of services for businesses than standard post offices do. Along with the South Torbian national postal system, international freight providers, such as FEDEX and DHL, and local freight forwarders are well established throughout the nation.

Word of Mouth

South Torbian word-of-mouth communication is among the least important modes, similar to other advanced nations. A combination of the rise of the Internet, mature TV and radio, and widely available print media makes more traditional forms of communication increasingly obsolete. The rise of text messaging first among youth, and increasingly among much of the rest of the population, is changing the dynamics of personal interaction. Social media is becoming the preferred means of communication.

Information Control

South Torbia does not directly control the flow of information, but it still has a soft censorship program then ensures that information deemed harmful to the integrity of the government is prohibited. The populace continues to use social media to express their views of areas within the government they deem as unacceptable. The South Torbian government also requires website operators to identify if the sites they own and operate might be harmful to the younger generations of South Torbia.

INFOWAR

The country of South Torbia is among the most technologically advanced to conduct INFOWAR activities in the region due to recent upgrade of equipment and training of personnel. South Torbia continually conducts INFOWAR attacks against the regime of North Torbia in the media as one example of its capabilities. South Torbia also continues to purchase more modern INFOWAR assets to remain a viable power in the Pacific region.

Electronic Warfare

South Torbia develops and manufactures some of its Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment, but ultimately relies on more advanced nations to supply the government with the latest and most advanced capabilities on the market. South Torbia maintains a variety of sensors and jammers on ground, air and naval assets, and is slowly increasing these capacities to counter those used by the more advanced militaries in the region, such as the People’s Republic of Olvana. Training of personnel on EW assets is continuous to keep up with new advancements, while joint exercises with other nations adds an additional level of training to further develop their skills in a more realistic environment.

Computer Attack

The South Torbians are in the early stages of transitioning from a strictly cyber defense strategy to adding a cyber-attack capability. This change is in retaliation to the increase of cyber-attacks by other regional countries in the past couple of years against the South Torbian government. To meet this new capability, the government is currently training an additional 1,000 to 1,500 personnel to augment the current cyber warfare capabilities of the country. South Torbia currently relies on assistance from Western nations to help train their new personnel to counter the ever changing dynamics of cyber warfare.

Information Attack

South Torbian information attack (IA) capabilities are limited with basic skills to deface websites or engage in tactics like distributed denial of service attacks. As their cyber warfare capabilities advance South Torbia’s IA capability is likely to also advance. South Torbia currently could use their limited capabilities to initially deter a larger more sophisticated country in the region, but will rely on support from their stronger allies for longer lasting effects.

Deception

The deception tactics used by South Torbia may consist of electronic or physical capabilities, such as decoys and camouflage. South Torbia will use these capabilities to deceive and frustrate the ability of a hostile country to locate and determine the composition of South Torbian units. By using such tactics South Torbian forces gain time and space to reposition and conduct counter attacks against a hostile country.

Physical Destruction

As South Torbia continues to modernize its military it will utilize key assets to deny and destroy high value targets such as enemy INFOWAR assets and capabilities.  South Torbia will use assets such as artillery, rockets, aircraft and special purpose forces to conduct operations to allow freedom of movement and protection from enemy targeting operations.

Protection and Security Measures

South Torbia continues to train and upgrade its information systems to protect against external attacks by foreign governments and internal attacks by opposition organizations. The government has implemented a cyber defense curriculum to train future cyber soldiers with free education in key cyber fields in return for a five year service obligation. The current protection and security measures implemented by South Torbia consist of high-level encryption and firewalls to protect key information infrastructure. Another option South Torbia is researching is the closing off of vital areas of a vulnerable network to deny unauthorized access to sensitive areas, this could be accomplished on a short term or permanent basis depending on the of the vulnerability perceived. South Torbia also continues to focus training on the physical security of installations and government facilities to deny disclosure of information that could cause grave damage to the security of the country. These activities consist of training on the proper storage and accountability of classified information and those who are authorized access to such information.

Perception Management

Perception management exists as a main element of South Torbian INFOWAR, as the South Torbian government expends considerable effort to demonstrate North Torbia’s “aggression” on websites, public pronouncements, and other official media. In addition, the South Torbian government openly acknowledges its recent weapons procurements, especially those from Western nations, to demonstrate its strength and military potential to the other nations in the Pacific region.

Intelligence

South Torbia maintains a sophisticated and able intelligence apparatus that operates both at home and abroad. The Ministry of Defense Intelligence (MDI) controls all of the different intelligence disciplines both at the national and military defense level. The different intelligence disciplines are well trained and resourced to ensure that national security is not threatened. The Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) are the largest and most advanced of the disciplines, with Measurement and Signatures Intelligence (MASINT) in the research and development stages. South Torbian advancements in intelligence has been the result of training and resource support from Western allies over the past few years and will continue to improve in the future with new advancements.

Human Intelligence

The Human Intelligence (HUMINT) program in South Torbia is the most important discipline and is well established and trained. The program focuses on internal security and external threats from regional nations. The HUMINT services will continue to focus on the border region with North Torbia with the majority of its assets. The focus for internal security is on opposition groups who see the government as not supporting the needs and wants of the populace according to the groups’ stated agendas, such as reunification. These groups operate primarily in the Capitol and the northern portion of the country.

South Torbian counterintelligence services will most likely be focusing on threats from external agencies seeking to acquire information on government and military forces, as well as major industrial companies, to gain an advantage over South Torbia. The possibility exists that South Torbia may also have assets operating in other nations to gain an advantage in the event of hostilities.

Open Source Intelligence

South Torbian intelligence analysts will utilize the power of its Internet infrastructure to conduct Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) operations. Analysts will utilize the power of the Internet to obtain key information on other nations from multiple sources to exploit vulnerabilities and advancements of militaries and industrial companies. They will conduct research to support strategic objectives by reviewing reporting from multiple media agencies to determine intentions, significant new advancements and political agendas of regional nations which may pose a threat to South Torbia.

Signals Intelligence

South Torbian Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) assets include ground, aircraft and maritime capabilities. Even with the array of capabilities, South Torbia still relies on assistance from Western nations as part of its SIGINT program. South Torbia will use the capability against regional nations to gain an advantage to better position themselves in the event of hostilities. This capability will be used primarily for defensive purposes, but can be transitioned to the offense to assist with targeting of high payoff targets. South Torbia continues to research future capabilities such as the use of satellites to further strengthen their ability to ensure the security of the country from regional and global threats.

Imagery Intelligence

South Torbia imagery intelligence (IMINT) collection capability maintains a fleet of air-breathing manned and UAV platforms for strategic and tactical collection, as well as an overhead space collection capability. These assets will be utilized along the international borders of South Torbia to identify any buildup of enemy forces or other threats to their stability, with additional assistance and facilitation through coalition relationships. UAVs will be utilized as a tactical collection platform along the border with North Torbia and in support of maritime security and interdiction operations. Fixed and rotary wing assets will be used as both strategic and tactical collection platforms to support national objectives.

South Torbia maintains three dedicated military imaging satellites with electro-optical (EO) capabilities and synthetic aperture radar. In addition, South Torbia has access to multiple commercial imaging capabilities through lease agreements with indigenous satellite companies.

Measurement and Signatures Intelligence

South Torbia does not have a robust MASINT capability and would need to rely on its military partners for any such information. South Torbia is currently researching ways that government could obtain more mature and advanced MASINT capabilities to counter advancements by other regional countries.

Summary

South Torbia is a large dynamic information environment. With a wide variety of Internet and INFOWAR technology and tactics, the South Torbians are likely to leverage their capability to the utmost during a crisis. South Torbia’s mass media operates with freedom of the press, but with the defamation law, journalist must continue to use self-censorship to ensure they do not face harsh penalties from the government on adverse reporting. The Internet is the most free information sphere within South Torbia with the social media being the preferred means of expressing individual feelings without reprisal of how the government is operating with concern to the populace. South Torbia will continue to increase their INFOWAR capabilities with a shift from total cyber defense tools to a mix of defensive and offensive capabilities to defend against an ever increasing threat from regional and global entities.