Foreign Information Warfare

Preface

The United States of America, its citizens, the principles enshrined in the Constitution, and the enduring republican form of governance face continual threats from foreign adversary nations. The nature of these threats has evolved significantly, transitioning from traditional ground combat against military peers to a new battlefield – the information superhighway. Adversaries have shifted their warfighting strategies from the conventional battlefield to the digital realm, specifically targeting domains that are exceedingly challenging to attribute to a single actor or root cause. This hidden approach operates in plain sight, and most U.S. citizens remain unwittingly vulnerable to it.

In the age of social media, an unsettling trend has emerged in the form of "verified" accounts. On platforms like Twitter and Instagram, users can subscribe to verified accounts, granting them access to specialized information and algorithms. However, this trend underscores a stark reality – the majority of the population does not subscribe to these verified accounts. For those who don't, direct access to information remains murky. Users cannot always distinguish between a credible, verified source and an unverified one, which can propagate confusion and misinformation.

The speed at which information can be skewed and shared in milliseconds is staggering, giving rise to an era where anyone with an internet connection can craft and distribute misleading content. Propaganda videos, sound bites, and the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) further complicate matters. AI can be harnessed to create fake news articles, graphics, and videos with astonishing verisimilitude, deepening the challenge of distinguishing fact from fiction.

The power to create a meme or share a compelling narrative is now in the hands of every internet user. A meme can be generated and distributed within seconds, potentially going viral in a matter of minutes. These digital pieces of content are often strategically designed to inject doubt into the minds of consumers. Repeated exposure to such content can lead individuals to conduct their own research, unwittingly reinforcing the very narratives they initially encountered. This phenomenon highlights a growing dilemma – by the time one reads a headline, absorbs a meme, or engages with an article, it's too late to intervene and protect oneself from potential misinformation or disinformation.

Misinformation, defined as incorrect or misleading information, and disinformation, false information deliberately and often covertly spread to manipulate public opinion, pose a significant threat in this age of digital communication. Foreign actors leverage these tactics to undermine the foundations of the U.S. republican form of governance and elections.

Definitions

Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information (source: Merriam-Webster - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinformation). 

Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth (source: Merriam Webster - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinformation) 

Foreign Information Warfare and U.S. Elections

In recent years, there has been growing concern over foreign information warfare campaigns targeting U.S. elections and democratic processes. A number of countries have developed sophisticated capabilities to use information, social media, and cyberattacks to influence domestic politics and sow division in other nations.

Russia

Russia has emerged as a major player in information warfare against the West. The Internet Research Agency, a Kremlin-linked troll farm based in St. Petersburg, was at the forefront of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Through fake accounts and pages, they spread disinformation, amplified partisan extremes, and attempted to depress voter turnout. Russia combines these information ops with cyberattacks on political organizations and infrastructure. Their goal is to undermine faith in democracy and Western institutions.

China

China runs global propaganda and censorship campaigns to promote its authoritarian model over Western democracy. Within its own borders, China tightly controls and censors the internet and media. China is expanding these capabilities abroad by getting foreign media outlets to toe the party line in exchange for access to its market. While China has not yet demonstrated major interference in U.S. elections specifically, its information warfare capabilities continue to grow.

Iran

Iran has a long history of conducting information warfare against its adversaries. In recent years, it has stepped up online propaganda and disinformation efforts against the U.S. and other Western nations. This includes state-sponsored hacking and social media manipulation. In 2020, Iran was caught accessing voter data and sending threatening emails to intimidate Democratic voters. Iran combines cyber operations with information warfare to weaken its enemies.

Defending Democracy

Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy. While the U.S. has taken steps to identify and thwart foreign election interference, information warfare remains an ongoing threat. It requires constant vigilance from the government, tech companies, media, and voters themselves. Only through a concerted effort can the U.S. and its democratic allies succeed in fighting the weaponization of information.

Combating Foreign Information Warfare: A Brief History

Foreign influence campaigns targeting American democracy and society did not begin with the 2016 election. The United States government has made efforts to counter such threats for decades through laws, policies, task forces, and cybersecurity initiatives.

Cold War Roots

• The U.S. has monitored and analyzed foreign propaganda and disinformation since the Cold War era as part of intelligence gathering against the Soviet Union.

• Psychological operations and counterintelligence aimed to identify and limit the impact of Soviet influence campaigns.

1990s and 2000s Responses

• The FBI established its Foreign Influence Task Force after 2008 to uncover foreign propaganda and political meddling in the U.S.

• The DoD's 2011 Cyber Strategy highlighted defensive efforts against influence operations in the digital domain.

Obama Administration Actions

• EO 13694 in 2015 authorized sanctions on foreign actors for disinformation campaigns.

• The Countering Foreign Propaganda Act was passed in 2016 to improve the tracking of foreign influence efforts.

Trump Administration and Beyond

• EO 13848 imposed sanctions for election interference.

• Social media platforms now provide more transparency around state-linked accounts.

• Government agencies closely coordinate to identify threats and secure elections.

Ongoing Challenges

• The internet has allowed adversaries to adapt and scale their techniques rapidly.

• Disinformation from domestic sources also muddies the waters.

• Democracies must balance security and free speech considerations.

While progress has been made, foreign influence capabilities continue to evolve. Sustained efforts across government, technology, and civil society are required to safeguard democratic institutions against emerging information warfare threats.

Combating Foreign Information Warfare

The U.S. government and technology companies have taken steps to identify and limit foreign information operations targeting American democracy and society. However, information warfare continues to evolve and additional work is required to get ahead of these threats.

Government Responses

• The FBI, DHS, and other agencies now run programs to monitor and counter foreign propaganda, disinformation, and election interference.

• Social media platforms are required to disclose details of state-linked information operations to authorities.

• Sanctions have been applied to foreign entities and individuals involved in significant misinformation campaigns.

• New cybersecurity requirements aim to secure election infrastructure and voting systems.

• Government officials frequently call out and bring attention to foreign information warfare campaigns.

Technology Industry Efforts

• Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are removing fake accounts linked to information operations. However, the scale of the problem continues to pose challenges.

• Both platforms have created publicly searchable archives of past foreign influence campaigns.

• Efforts are being made to reduce the spread of viral disinformation and highlight fact-checking.

• AI and machine learning are being leveraged to quickly identify coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Ongoing Challenges

• Information warfare moves quickly and adversaries are constantly evolving new tactics. Laws, policies, and technology have been slow to catch up.

• Domestic misinformation and hyper-partisanship remain major issues that foreign actors can exploit and hide within.

• There are limits on what democratic governments can restrict without compromising free speech and civil liberties.

To stay ahead of threats to democracy, the U.S. must continue to enhance cyber defenses, media literacy, public awareness, and coordination with allies in both the government and tech sectors. An open society has inherent vulnerabilities that require constant vigilance to protect.

Here is an outline of key US executive orders, laws, and policies relevant to combating foreign information warfare:

Executive Orders

• EO 13848 on Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election (2018)

• EO 13757 on Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency with Respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities (2016)

Laws

• Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act (2016)

• Honest Ads Act - requires political ad disclosures on social media (proposed 2017)

• Executive Branch policies like PPD-41 on cyber incident coordination (2016)

Department of Defense

• DoD Cyber Strategy focuses on deterring foreign influence ops and bad actors online (2018)

• DoD collaborates with the FBI and DHS for election security and monitoring threats

• US Cyber Command has shifted to "persistent engagement" to thwart external threats

Department of Homeland Security

• Created Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) to share threat intelligence (2017)

• Provides cybersecurity resources for state/local election systems

• Runs programs like the Foreign Influence Task Force to identify and counter threats

• Works with social media companies to analyze and address malicious activity

While progress has been made, foreign information warfare capabilities continue to rapidly evolve. Sustained efforts across government, technology, and civil society are required to safeguard democratic institutions and values. Information warfare threats pose a complex challenge without a simple solution.

Combating foreign information warfare is a complex challenge that involves coordinated efforts across many government agencies, the private sector, and civil society. While the public only sees fragments, we know that significant work goes on behind the scenes in classified environments.

The U.S. intelligence community has long experience monitoring and analyzing foreign influence operations. Details of current efforts remain compartmentalized and limited to those with proper security clearances and "need to know". Public executive orders, laws, and unclassified strategies likely represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Effective information warfare defense relies on separating truth from deception. Governments often operate in shades of gray for national security reasons. However, an open democratic society ultimately depends on transparency and an informed public to function properly.

Those in power must balance security with ethics and values. Throughout history, the temptation to use information as a weapon has been ever-present. As technology progresses, the potential for abuse only increases. Any steps taken to safeguard society against external threats must be carefully weighed against the risk of government overreach in restricting freedoms.

While the public may never know the full scope, we can have confidence that professionals of conscience are working diligently to defend democracy against its adversaries while upholding rights. But continued public scrutiny of government actions remains essential. Only together can we navigate the complex modern landscape of information warfare and emerging threats to civil liberties.

Sources

• Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections." March 2021. https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf

• Mueller, Robert S. "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election." March 2019. https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/download

• Frenkel, Sheera. "Russian 2016 Influence Operation Targeted African-Americans on Social Media." New York Times. Dec 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/russia-2016-influence-campaign.html

• Fadel, Leila. "How China's Government Really Sees The Internet." NPR. Sept 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/09/26/763545811/how-chinas-government-really-sees-the-internet

• Barnes, Julian E. "Iranians Charged in Cyberattacks Aimed at Intimidating the U.S. to Return to Nuclear Deal." New York Times. Nov 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/us/politics/iran-cyberattacks-indictment.html

• Polyakova, Alina and Spencer P Boyer. "The Future of Political Warfare: Russia, the West, and the Coming Age of Global Digital Competition." Brookings. March 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-future-of-political-warfare-russia-the-west-and-the-coming-age-of-global-digital-competition/

• Cohen, Raphael S., Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, Joe Cheravitch, Alyssa Demus, Scott W. Harold, Jeffrey W. Hornung, Jenny Jun, Michael Schwille, Elina Treyger, and Nathan Vest, Combating Foreign Disinformation on Social Media: Study Overview and Conclusions. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR4373z1.html. Also available in print form. 

• National Intelligence Council - Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Elections; https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf