Cyber-enabled Influence Operations: the Case of the Belarusian Cyber-Partisans

The Belarusian Cyber Partisans (BCP) have opposed the authoritarian government of Belarus since 2020 through cyber attacks. They have hacked government and police databases, revealing sensitive information about government personnel. One notable event was their hack of the Belarusian railway system in early 2022, which disrupted the Russian military build-up to the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. To this day, the Cyber Partisans continue to challenge the regime of President Lukashenko and Russian presence and influence in Belarus. An analysis offers more conceptual clarity on the effects sought by non-state groups like the BCP, and thereby on how the Cyber Partisans should be labelled.