Ed. Note – This very thing occurred in the past year in my own local area as ‘unnamed external actors’ attempted to undermine a city’s attempts to have 5G installed in the city center providing broad-band wireless internet to a large portion of the city’s residents.  In the end, it was approved but not until...Read More

Ed note – Makes sense.  You export what you’re good at and the Russians have made a name for themselves in this area. CNN reports: Russian election meddling is back — via Ghana and Nigeria — and in your feeds An excerpt: Accra, Ghana (CNN)The Russian trolls are back — and once again trying to...Read More

Ed. note – IPA takes a comprehensive view of Cognitive Security; we also try to look forward to issues likely to confront policy- and law-makers in the future.  In the recent past, we’ve discussed the consequences of the surveillance state already constructed in China; now we have to confront what may be an expansion of...Read More

Ed. note:  A new normal?  As a result of the current crisis, What will be the shift in tactics regarding the use of information to undermine an opponent?  I hope someone in DoD/CIA/State is thinking about this now. China takes a page from Russia’s disinformation playbook Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Drew Angerer/Getty Images...Read More

Ed. Note: Social media is still somewhat the Wild West when it comes to rules and regulations, but it is troubling that public figures are given exceptions to post unsubstantiated information. The Hill reported today that Twitter refuses to remove posts by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lijian Zhao implying the U.S. military may...Read More

A great summary of the past weeks disinformation and efforts to destabilize the west using the public’s fear over COVID-19 below.  This is from the folks at the Pell Center of Salve Regina University.  You can sign up for their newsletter here. Here are the top stories we’ve seen this week: Coronavirus Russia Aims to...Read More

Ed. Note: The Foundation for Defense of Democracies Long War Journal and The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center both report on China expelling reporters from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The Washington Post this week, seen as an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to control reporting during a time of crisis...Read More

Ed. note – H/T to a friend of IPA for forwarding these and I’m sure there are many more but a variety of sources is always good.  In this case, the FT, The Hill, and RFE all hitting on the same issue – who’s responsible for this piece of disinformation but, of course, the issues...Read More

Ed. note – To the surprise of exactly no one, the disinformation keeps piling up.  The conditions are ideal for a coordinated campaign to play on fears and to put out information that checks the boxes on our cognitive biases.  Speaking of which, now’s the ideal time to pull out those books you know you...Read More

Ed. note – This one is all about the graphics so use the link in the title below to open up the article and see a great visual representation of the state-sponsored Twitter efforts.  I’ll say it again:  Know whom you are re-tweeting and whom you are following.  Don’t be the hapless dupe. Watch six...Read More