More recently, it has been reported in and that a computer worm, Stuxnet, was spread to target Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities can lead to severe damage as has been reported in various news outlets.
The vulnerabilities of the software deployed in the new control system infrastructure will expose the control system to many potential risks and threats from attackers. With the growing level of integration of control systems with new information technologies, modern control systems face uncertainties not only from the physical world but also from the cybercomponents of the system. The classical design of control systems takes into account modeling uncertainties as well as physical disturbances, providing a multitude of control design methods such as robust control, adaptive control, and stochastic control. The use of open networks poses many challenges for control systems. We argue that wargames offer unique opportunities for political scientists to study decision-making processes both in and beyond the International Relations subfield.Ĭritical infrastructures, such as power grids and transportation systems, are increasingly using open networks for operation. In doing so, we explain how researchers can navigate issues of recruitment, bias, validity, and generalizability when using wargames for research, and identify ways to evaluate the potential benefits and pitfalls of wargames as a tool of inquiry. We then chart out how researchers can build and run their own games or draw from archival wargames for theory development and testing. We first differentiate wargames from other methodological approaches and highlight their ecological validity. This article evaluates how political scientists can use wargames as a method of scholarly inquiry and sets out to establish a research agenda for wargaming in International Relations.
However, scholars have little guidance on how to apply this novel methodological approach to political science research. Either by fielding original games or by leveraging archival wargame materials, researchers can study rare events or topics where evidence is difficult to observe.
Political scientists are increasingly integrating wargames into their research.
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