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Information Operations

The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Haroro J. Ingram
Apr 19, 2018
Foreign Policy Research Institute
It is crucial that the United States and its coalition partners take into consideration and preempt the ISIS nostalgia narratives that may seek to define the group's legacy and prepare a foundation for its resurgence throughout the Middle East and beyond. The legacy ISIS should be remembered for is one of misery and despair.
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Information Operations
commentary
Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance
Raphael S. Cohen, Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Apr 13, 2018
The National Interest
The United States' principal adversaries are fighting and gaining ground by employing a host of tactics short of all-out war. This form of warfare, once called political warfare, is back with a vengeance, empowered by new tools and techniques.
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Russia
commentary
Putin's Boasting About Nuclear Weapons Won't Help Him in the Russian Election
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Miriam Matthews
Mar 15, 2018
Newsweek
In a March 1 address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked Soviet-era exaggeration, proclaiming barely feasible economic and social goals and boasting of nuclear arms that are unlikely to change the strategic balance. Continued exaggeration could sap public confidence in the legitimacy of Russia's ruling system and leaders.
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Cyber Warfare
commentary
Getting Ready to Fight the Next (Cyber) War
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
Mar 3, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
Nation-states and their proxies are regularly spying and attacking in cyberspace across national borders. The U.S. and other Western societies that are being targeted should do three things: Be less vulnerable, be able to recognize and mitigate the impact of attacks faster, and be prepared to respond in kind to all levels of offense.
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Information Operations
commentary
Beijing's Influence Operations Target Chinese Diaspora
Timothy R. Heath
Mar 1, 2018
War on the Rocks
China's efforts to cultivate support in and control diaspora communities threaten to worsen inter-ethnic tensions, aggravate political and social polarization, and harm the civil rights and freedoms of citizens in other countries. Such activities merit close attention by democratic governments seeking to counter China's influence operations.
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Information Operations
commentary
Free Lunches for Adversaries
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Christopher Paul
Feb 13, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
When leaders take actions that are unpopular with wide audiences, propagandists have it easy. While Western leaders should not make propaganda potential the primary factor when weighing policy decisions, neither should they wholly disregard the opportunities that unpopular policies will offer adversaries.
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Information Operations
commentary
Invisible Doomsday Machines: The Challenge of Clandestine Capabilities and Deterrence
Brendan Rittenhouse Green, Austin Long
Dec 15, 2017
War on the Rocks
As the United States increasingly contemplates acquiring clandestine capabilities for deterrence and warfighting, it should consider rethinking its approach to managing these programs. A unified management approach would go a great distance toward meeting the challenges of these capabilities.
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Information Operations
commentary
How Hezbollah Came to Dominate Information Warfare
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Sep 19, 2017
The Jerusalem Post
Hezbollah's information warfare portfolio includes newspapers, social media outlets, television programming, and a major internet presence. Its websites reflect the group's diverse agenda and aim to be multi-generational in their approach, offering information about social services as well as a video game to engage youth.
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Information Operations
commentary
The Islamic State May Be Failing, but Its Strategic Communications Legacy Is Here to Stay
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Charlie Winter
Aug 17, 2017
War on the Rocks
The Islamic State's caliphate is collapsing but its legacy will live on virtually because of its information operations. The scale of the menace presented by the group today pales in comparison to other global challenges, yet it manages to dominate and terrorize the public mind.
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Cyber Warfare
commentary
Russian Information Warfare: A Reality That Needs a Response
Bruce McClintock @BHMcClintock
Jul 21, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
For the last three decades, Russia has exploited its growing capabilities in cyberspace to spy on, influence, and punish others. The West will continue to struggle to hold Moscow accountable, in part because international law falls far short of fully defining the rules or resolving conflicts.
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Information Operations
commentary
NATO: Prepared for Countering Disinformation Operations in the Baltic States?
Marta Kepe @martakepe
Jun 7, 2017
European Geostrategy
NATO alliance countries deploying to the Baltics should prepare to deal with increasing levels of disinformation. An open and robust communication strategy could be crucial in tackling a sophisticated Russian disinformation campaign aimed at disrupting support for these deployments.
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Critical Infrastructure Protection
commentary
Reservists and the National Guard Offer Untapped Resources for Cybersecurity
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche, Brian D. Wisniewski
Apr 18, 2017
TechCrunch
More than 100,000 personnel in the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve have some degree of cyber competence, including thousands with deep or mid-level expertise. They could help defend the cyber terrain on which America's national security, prosperity, and democracy depend.
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Russia
blog
Beyond the Headlines: RAND's Christopher Paul Discusses the Russian 'Firehose of Falsehood'
Dec 13, 2016
A massive, ingenious, and concerning campaign of propaganda has been pumping westward for years, supporting the Russian agenda in Ukraine and Syria and likely trying to influence the U.S. presidential election.
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Russia
commentary
Russian Propaganda Is Pervasive, and America Is Behind the Power Curve in Countering It
Christopher Paul, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Sep 13, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Even as Washington pursues cooperation with Moscow on Syria and other issues, America should expose Russia's obsession with propaganda and disinformation.
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Global Security
commentary
Inciting Peace
Michael A. Brown, Christopher Paul
Mar 30, 2016
Foreign Policy Concepts
Malicious ideas, ideologies, and narratives (such as those promoted by ISIS) cannot just be eliminated — they need to be replaced.
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Military Intelligence
commentary
Loose Clicks Sink Ships: When Social Media Meets Military Intelligence
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung, Olga Oliker
Aug 14, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Social media updates can reveal military intelligence. But stopping a soldier from posting a geotagged tweet or Instagram photo presents challenges.
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Databases and Data Collection, Analysis, and Processing
commentary
Why 'Big Data' Can't Find the Missing Malaysian Plane
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
May 1, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
The failure to find the missing aircraft demonstrates anew the serious gaps in data coordination and challenges public assumptions about the thoroughness and simplicity of searching the world’s data for answers.
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Information Operations
commentary
Psychological Operations by Another Name Are Sweeter
Christopher Paul
Jul 29, 2010
Small Wars Journal
The Department of Defense has decided to change the name of military psychological operations (PSYOP) and this is a good thing, writes Christopher Paul.
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commentary
Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Mar 2, 2006
Vanguard
Published commentary by RAND staff: Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda, in Vanguard magazine.
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commentary
War, Propaganda and Public Opinion
Lowell H. Schwartz
Dec 18, 2005
Baltimore Sun
Published commentary by RAND staff: War, Propaganda and Public Opinion in the Balitmore Sun.
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commentary
Strategy: Political Warfare Neglected
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jun 26, 2005
San Diego Union-Tribune
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
Intelligence in the Information Age; Spy Data For Sale
Kevin M. O'Connell
Apr 8, 2001
Newsday
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Information Operations

Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative

Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance

Putin's Boasting About Nuclear Weapons Won't Help Him in the Russian Election

Getting Ready to Fight the Next (Cyber) War

Beijing's Influence Operations Target Chinese Diaspora

Free Lunches for Adversaries

Invisible Doomsday Machines: The Challenge of Clandestine Capabilities and Deterrence

How Hezbollah Came to Dominate Information Warfare

The Islamic State May Be Failing, but Its Strategic Communications Legacy Is Here to Stay

Russian Information Warfare: A Reality That Needs a Response

NATO: Prepared for Countering Disinformation Operations in the Baltic States?

Reservists and the National Guard Offer Untapped Resources for Cybersecurity

Beyond the Headlines: RAND's Christopher Paul Discusses the Russian 'Firehose of Falsehood'

Russian Propaganda Is Pervasive, and America Is Behind the Power Curve in Countering It

Inciting Peace

Loose Clicks Sink Ships: When Social Media Meets Military Intelligence

Why 'Big Data' Can't Find the Missing Malaysian Plane

Psychological Operations by Another Name Are Sweeter

Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda

War, Propaganda and Public Opinion

Strategy: Political Warfare Neglected

Intelligence in the Information Age; Spy Data For Sale

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