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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.

Research Brief

Improving Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment

Dec 17, 2020

Challenges to effective intelligence support for operations in the information environment (OIE) can be addressed by improving processes, prioritizing support for OIE, training and educating personnel, and optimally allocating personnel.
Report

Countering Russia's Malign and Subversive Information Efforts

Aug 16, 2021

Information aggression is increasing in frequency and intensity. Russia, in particular, uses messaging and intimidation in its efforts to influence multiple actors and countries. As frequent targets, how can the United States and its European allies defend themselves?

Explore Information Operations

Report

Leveraging Complexity in Great-Power Competition and Warfare: Volume I, An Initial Exploration of How Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking Can Frame Opportunities and Challenges

This report is the first in a two-part series that examines how complex adaptive systems thinking can be applied to great-power competition and warfare to aid in understanding how complexity might be exploited to U.S. advantage.

Aug 26, 2021
Report

Leveraging Complexity in Great-Power Competition and Warfare: Volume II, Technical Details for a Complex Adaptive Systems Lens

This is a technical report that supports a companion report, Leveraging Complexity in Great-Power Competition and Warfare: Volume I, An Initial Exploration of How Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking Can Frame Opportunities and Challenges .

Aug 26, 2021
Tool

The Information Warfighter Exercise Wargame: Rulebook

This document presents the full ruleset for the Information Warfighter Exercise Wargame, which is used by the Marine Corps to provide training for aspects of operations in the information environment.

Aug 24, 2021
Blog

Insights on Afghanistan, Back to School, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the collapse in Afghanistan, what parents think about sending kids back to school, insights from game theory on North Korean denuclearization, and more.

Aug 20, 2021
Blog

The Fight Against COVID, Sexual Violence in the Military, Disinformation on Social Media: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the ongoing fight against COVID-19, countering sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military, disinformation on social media, and more.

Jul 23, 2021
Report

Combating Foreign Disinformation on Social Media

Disinformation campaigns on social media pose a nuanced threat. But much of the U.S. response remains ad hoc and uncoordinated. It's unclear who has the edge moving forward, because disinformation techniques and countermeasures are evolving simultaneously.

Jul 19, 2021
Report

Chinese Disinformation Efforts on Social Media

The authors identify key Chinese practices and the supporting infrastructure and conditions that successful social media disinformation campaigns require, concluding that China is using Taiwan as a test bed for developing attack vectors.

Jul 19, 2021
Journal Article

Understanding and Pursuing Information Advantage

This article tries to unpack the concept of "information advantage" and explore what it might mean and how it should be thought about by the U.S. Army and the joint force more broadly.

Jul 6, 2021
Blog

Sexual Assault in the Military, School Security, Mental Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the risk of sexual assault to sexual minorities in the U.S. military, making treatment more accessible to people struggling with opioid addiction, countering Russian propaganda, and more.

Jun 4, 2021
Report

Countering Russian and Other State-Sponsored Propaganda

Since the Russian propaganda campaign that targeted the 2016 U.S. presidential election, researchers have penned a trove of reports that offer recommendations for countering such efforts. To help policymakers and others, RAND experts produced a compendium that divides these recommendations into various categories.

Jun 1, 2021
Report

Deciphering Chinese Deterrence Signalling in the New Era

China is changing its approach to deterrence signalling in Xi Jinping's 'new era' as it leverages growing military capabilities and the availability of new communication channels. How can Australia, the United States, and other countries better decipher Chinese deterrence signalling in this new era?

May 27, 2021
Journal Article

Exploring Chinese Military Thinking on Social Media Manipulation Against Taiwan

This article addresses a gap in the current policy discussion, provides evidence of Chinese military planning for covert manipulation of Taiwanese social media, and explores how its interest in and tactics for social media manipulation have evolved over time.

May 19, 2021
Journal Article

Borrowing a Boat Out to Sea: The Chinese Military's Use of Social Media for Influence Operations

The Chinese military is positioning itself as one of the leading actors for hostile Chinese influence operations on social media. The PLA uses social media for covert hostile political interference operations targeting foreign countries.

May 14, 2021
Journal Article

Cognitive Domain Operations: The PLA's New Holistic Concept for Influence Operations

As information becomes ever more central for Chinese warfighting, the People's Liberation Army is developing a new concept for psychological warfare in the information era called "cognitive domain operations."

May 14, 2021
Report

New Model Helps Predict Cyber Threats and Improve Resilience

Today's evolving cyber threats require a tailored and targeted approach to cybersecurity. Current defenses focus on managing threats after a network has been breached. RAND's Scalable Warning and Resilience Model (SWARM) can help defenders proactively protect their systems through early warning of cyber incidents before they occur.

May 11, 2021
Blog

COVID-19 Disinformation, Biden's Address, Leaving Afghanistan: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Russian and Chinese campaigns to spread malign and subversive information on COVID-19, President Biden's address to Congress, the planned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and more.

Apr 30, 2021
Report

Russia and China: Superspreaders of Malign and Subversive Information on COVID-19

Both Russia and China targeted Americans with malign and subversive information campaigns related to the pandemic. What can these campaigns teach us about future information operations from Moscow and Beijing?

Apr 29, 2021
Report

Machine Learning Can Detect Online Conspiracy Theories

As social media platforms work to prevent malicious or harmful uses of their services, an improved model of machine-learning technology can detect and understand conspiracy theory language. Insights from this modeling effort can help counter the effects of online conspiracies.

Apr 29, 2021
Blog

Understanding Violent Extremism, 'Blockships,' VMT Fee: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on firsthand accounts of violent extremism, lessons from the recent blockage in the Suez Canal, and if a federal Vehicle Miles Travel fee could replace the gas tax.

Apr 2, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Information Operations

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