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Information Operations

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Information operations and warfare, also known as influence operations, includes the collection of tactical information about an adversary as well as the dissemination of propaganda in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent. RAND research has enabled military leaders and policymakers to develop strategies and policy frameworks to address the challenges of these military operations.

Report

Unconventional Options for the Defense of the Baltic States

Feb 5, 2016

Unconventional options from the Swiss defense strategy during the Cold War could benefit Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. These include training and equipping local defense units and preparing transportation infrastructure for demolition to prevent an invasion.
Report

An Update on Information Operations in Afghanistan

Aug 28, 2015

As the United States looks to further reduce its military footprint in Afghanistan, the need for harmonized information operations doctrine that supports effective operations in the field — as well as the measures with which to gauge their effectiveness — is even greater.

Explore Information Operations

Commentary

How Hezbollah Came to Dominate Information Warfare

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.

Sep 19, 2017
Commentary

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

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.

Aug 17, 2017
Commentary

Russian Information Warfare: A Reality That Needs a Response

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.

Jul 21, 2017
Report

Report

Cyber Power Potential of the Army's Reserve Component

Describes the availability of personnel with cyber skills in the private sector and the number of Army reserve component soldiers available to support the Army's cyber mission needs.

Jun 15, 2017
Report

Social Media Analysis Could Support Information Operations

Social media analysis could provide a window into the perspectives and communications of adversaries and other key audiences. If DoD seeks to expand its capability in this area, it must navigate U.S. law, cultural norms, and other issues.

Jun 14, 2017
Commentary

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

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.

Jun 7, 2017
Testimony

Testimony

Understanding Russian "Hybrid Warfare": And What Can Be Done About It: Addendum

Document submitted May 5, 2017, as an addendum to testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on March 22, 2017.

May 11, 2017
Report

Lessons from Russia's Operations in Ukraine

Russia's annexation of Crimea was a decisive use of military force toward political ends. But Russia benefited from favorable circumstances that make this hard to replicate. Moscow likely considers its campaign in Eastern Ukraine a strategic success but an unsuccessful operation.

May 9, 2017
Testimony

The Need for Cognitive Security

The United States needs a strategy to counter information operations conducted by Russia and other adversaries. The rapid evolution of technology complicates this challenge.

Apr 27, 2017
Report

Report

Dominating Duffer's Domain: Lessons for the U.S. Marine Corps Information Operations Practitioner

To support the U.S. Marine Corps and its curriculum for information operations personnel, RAND has adapted the premise of the military classic The Defence of Duffer's Drift for a modern-day audience of Marine Corps officers.

Apr 20, 2017
Report

Report

Dominating Duffer's Domain: Lessons for the U.S. Army Information Operations Practitioner

Adapting the format of military classic, The Defence of Duffer's Drift, this report analyzes alternative courses of action in the same hypothetical mission in order to derive lessons about integrating information operations into operational planning.

Apr 20, 2017
Commentary

Reservists and the National Guard Offer Untapped Resources for Cybersecurity

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.

Apr 18, 2017
Report

Report

Tactical Cyber: Building a Strategy for Cyber Support to Corps and Below

This report proposes a strategy for tactical Army cyber operations, enumerating overarching goals, objectives, and associated activities. Instructive case studies are provided that support implementation of the strategy.

Mar 28, 2017
Multimedia

Understanding Russian "Hybrid Warfare" and What Can Be Done About It

Testimony by Christopher S. Chivvis presented before the House Armed Services Committee on March 22, 2017.

Mar 22, 2017
Report

Report

Assessing and Evaluating Department of Defense Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade: Worked Example

This report presents a realistic but fictional scenario as context for how assessment planning for inform, influence, and persuade efforts should work in practice, demonstrating core principles and best practices for developing effective assessments.

Mar 22, 2017
Testimony

Russian Hybrid Warfare: What Is It, and What Can Be Done About It?

Russia's use of subversive actions, such as information and cyber operations, threatens U.S. interests in Europe. Addressing this hybrid threat will take time and effort. And any U.S. response must be developed alongside efforts to bolster conventional deterrence.

Mar 22, 2017
Report

The Potential for Russian Hybrid Warfare in the Baltics

Russia would likely have trouble using nonviolent tactics to destabilize the Baltics. Covert violent action is also unlikely to succeed on its own. Thus, the Baltics' main vulnerability is Russia's local superiority in conventional forces.

Feb 23, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

On Strategic Communications Today: Enhancing US Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

Capabilities to inform, influence, and persuade are necessary both for national security success and as a cost-effective toolset relative to physical military power.

Dec 14, 2016
Blog

Insights on the Russian 'Firehose of Falsehood'

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.

Dec 13, 2016
Commentary

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

Even as Washington pursues cooperation with Moscow on Syria and other issues, America should expose Russia's obsession with propaganda and disinformation.

Sep 13, 2016

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RAND Topic:
Information Operations

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