There is no denying that in recent times, the landscape of global information sharing has been significantly, and damagingly, influenced by various Russian disinformation campaigns. These are campaigns that use complex and sophisticated methods in order to muddy the truth and sow the seeds of discord among targeted populations. As a result, Russian disinformation detection has become a number one priority for many organizations and governments across the globe.
Something that has become increasingly apparent over time is that these kinds of threats are incredibly challenging for joint forces, requiring lots of collaborative strategies and state of the art tools in order to counter the damage.
This article aims to explore the nature of Russian disinformation on a deep and thorough level, assessing the impact it can have on joint forces, and exploring the potential of solutions like Osavul as effective countering tools.
The roots of Russian disinformation can be traced back to long standing and much employed traditions of old Soviet Union propaganda, which absolutely excelled in spreading false information with the aim of both influencing public opinion and undermining perceived adversaries. Now amplified even further by today’s digital tools, such tactics can pose unprecedented levels of threat.
Disinformation tactics in the 21st century are deployed using a variety of methods.
- Fabricated Narratives
The crafting of fake stories that exist to align with any current pressing Russian interests.
- Manipulated Media
Relating to photos, videos or deepfake creations that have been designed to actively mislead an audience.
- Troll Farms
Organized groups of online operators that work to spread coordinated messages across social media platforms, with the aim of shaping the discourse.
- Social Media Manipulation
The widespread use of fake and ‘bot’ accounts to amplify a chosen message, resulting in distorted trends and suppressed dissent.
- Astroturfing Campaigns
A created, false illusion of grassroots movement support for selected ideas and policies.
Each of these methods is employed with the intention of confusing audiences and eroding the perhaps already fragile trust that they had in existing institutions.
As alluded to above, the effects that Russian disinformation campaigns can have on joint forces in particular can be very multifaceted and complex.
The effectiveness of such disinformation is that it will often highlight both the operational and cultural differences between allied nations, and this is a base level threat to unity. There are several examples of fabricated narratives that have thrown into question the commitment of various NATO members regarding topics like mutual defense, or disparities in the contributions of established joint missions.
This has been evidenced by the Virtual Manipulation Brief which highlights a host of disinformation Russia efforts, both to emphasize a perceived weakness in NATO and certain failures of EU sanctions.
Clearly, spreading disinformation is a tactic that can expose any potential vulnerabilities within joint operations. In general, the two main areas of risk come through social media platforms and sophisticated AI-generated content.
Things like sensitive military attacks run the risk of being revealed via targeted phishing attacks, or simply through manipulated narratives online, whilst the emerging powerful tool of AI (as referenced in the Virtual Manipulation Brief) can very easily be implemented for producing instant and convincing falsehoods.
These two factors alone are evidence of just how important countering Russian disinformation is for stable operational security.
With disinformation continuing to evolve, organizations and governments need to make use of more advanced platforms like Osavul in order to address threats and keep up.
- AI Powered Analysis
Osavul can identify particular patterns that are typical in disinformation, such as bot like behavior from source accounts and repeated phrases that are indicative of machine generation.
- Real Time Alerts
Osavul has the ability to provide instant and immediate warning when a hostile campaign is detected, whether towards a specific group or a wider general narrative.
- Cross Platform Coverage
The suite of tools are able to monitor activity across a large number of social media platforms, message apps and forums in order to detect any coordinated disinformation programs.
- Hostile Campaign Identification
The automatic tools have the power to pinpoint spreading false information campaigns as they are taking shape.
With regards to capabilities and effectiveness when thinking of joint forces efforts, Osavul is incredibly valuable thanks to the following:
- Early Warning Systems
Time is very much of the essence when addressing these kinds of threats, and Osavul is able to identify any Russian disinformation campaign before it takes hold and starts to escalate.
- Real Time Situational Awareness
Further supporting the need for fast and decisive action, Osvaul can provide valuable real time insights that aid users in countering disinformation in the moment.
- Enhanced Coordination
Thinking especially about joint forces countering Russian disinformation, unification is of paramount importance, and alliances can be strengthened against the attacking parties when coordination is efficient thanks to a clear information environment.
The full benefits of the Osavul suite of tools can be felt when applied effectively and integrated with joint force operations.
The more personnel in any operation that has knowledge of Osavul’s potential, the better its impact will be. This can be fostered through training workshops, seminars surrounding critical thinking skills and simulation exercises to put all that has been learnt to the test. Making sure that as many individuals involved as possible are trained on how to fight against Russian disinformation is the key way to ensuring that the most refined strategies are in place to counter the disinformation from Russia in the first place.
One of the best approaches to take is combining the insights gained from Osavul with other sources of intelligence, which ensures the most rounded and holistic approach to a problem. This can be achieved through cross agency collaboration when appropriate, further strengthening allied forces in countering Russian disinformation at the earliest stage.
Data can also be used in conjunction with other integrated threat assessments such as findings from satellite imagery, data from cyber security and broader trusted human intelligence.
Whilst tools like the aforementioned Osavul are arguably essential in fighting against propaganda in Soviet Union legacy regions, there are also strategies beyond the technology that need to be employed at the same time.
- Critical Thinking
Individuals need to be encouraged to ask questions of the content they are receiving, pondering the age-old digital question of ‘truth or scam?’ when evaluating.
- Media Literacy
Teams and individuals alike need to be trained to be able to better identify disinformation Russia tactics, namely being able to verify trusted sources before participating in the inevitable online sharing.
- Community Engagement
In terms of a wider effort, it pays to involve local populations in the teaching of being able to recognize and resist spreading disinformation online. The organic nature of the spread of disinformation programs can be significantly halted when more people are aware of the tactics at hand.
In summary, there is no doubt that the combination of old style Soviet Union propaganda with modern digital tools and tactics has made the task of countering Russian disinformation an incredibly difficult one, as well an urgent priority for most.
Platforms like Osavul have the capabilities to identify and counter these threats as they surface, but it is equally crucial to achieve a level of media literacy and critical thinking among targeted populations.
Using Osavul alongside adopting the frameworks of the CFPDA (Countering Foreign Propaganda And Disinformation Act) provides the sturdiest and most resilient way to combat fake news and disinformation from Russia.
