Influence Campaigns

(OBJ 2.2)

Influence Campaigns

• Coordinated efforts to affect public perception or behavior towards a particular cause, individual, or group

• Are a powerful tool for shaping public opinion and behavior

  • Can be positive or malicious

• In cybersecurity, the main focus is on malicious influence campaigns by high-level actors such as nation-states and hacktivists

• Foster misinformation and disinformation

  • Misinformation
    • False or inaccurate information shared without harmful intent
    • Honest mistakes or misunderstandings shared
  • Disinformation
    • Involves the deliberate creation and sharing of false information with the intent to deceive or mislead
    • Often used to intentionally manipulate public opinion

• Some influence campaigns can also server an attacker's financial interests

  • Impersonate famous people tweeter account and tweet "Every bitcoin donated to this account will be doubled and returned"

• Remember, misinformation and disinformation can have serious consequences because they can undermine public trust in institutions, fuel social divisions, and even influence the outcomes of elections

• Combat: By promoting media literacy, transparency, and regulation can combat misinformation and disinformation