Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Policy
8 Ways to Stay Ahead of Influence Operations
With election meddling inevitable in 2020, the United States needs a powerful kill chain.
Influence operations are elusive to define. The Rand Corp.'s definition is as good as any: "the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent." Basically, we know it when we see it, from bots controlled by the Russian Internet Research Agency to Saudi attempts to plant fake stories and manipulate political debate. These operations have been run by Iran against the United States, Russia against Ukraine, China against Taiwan, and probably lots more besides.
Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, there have been an endless series of ideas about how countries can defend themselves. It's time to pull those together into a comprehensive approach to defending the public sphere and the institutions of democracy....
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The full text of this publication is available via Foreign Policy.
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For Academic Citation:
Schneier, Bruce.“8 Ways to Stay Ahead of Influence Operations.” Foreign Policy, August 12, 2019.
The Author
Bruce Schneier
- Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Fellow, Cyber Project
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Influence operations are elusive to define. The Rand Corp.'s definition is as good as any: "the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent." Basically, we know it when we see it, from bots controlled by the Russian Internet Research Agency to Saudi attempts to plant fake stories and manipulate political debate. These operations have been run by Iran against the United States, Russia against Ukraine, China against Taiwan, and probably lots more besides.
Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, there have been an endless series of ideas about how countries can defend themselves. It's time to pull those together into a comprehensive approach to defending the public sphere and the institutions of democracy....
Want to Read More?
The full text of this publication is available via Foreign Policy.The Author
Bruce Schneier
- Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Fellow, Cyber Project
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions - The New York Times
We Must Prepare for the Next Pandemic
Analysis & Opinions - The Hill
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Analysis & Opinions - The Atlantic
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In the Spotlight
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