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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.

Commentary
U.S. Adversaries Can Use Generative AI for Social Media Manipulation
Using generative artificial intelligence technology, U.S. adversaries can manufacture fake social media accounts that seem real. These accounts can be used to advance narratives that serve the interests of those governments and pose a direct challenge to democracies. U.S. government, technology, and policy communities should act fast to counter this threat.
Sep 7, 2023
Commentary
ChatGPT Is Creating New Risks for National Security
Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude offer a wide range of beneficial applications. But there are significant risks associated with their use that demand a coordinated effort among partner nations to forge a solid, integrated defense against the threat of malign information operations.
Jul 20, 2023

Explore Information Operations

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
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
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
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
Building an Army Strategy for Cyber Support
Cyber operations are increasingly important to the Army and other services' ability to incorporate actions in cyberspace with activities in traditional warfighting domains. A new strategy for tactical Army cyber operations enumerates overarching goals, objectives, and associated activities.
Mar 28, 2017
Multimedia
Understanding Russian
Testimony by Christopher S. Chivvis presented before the House Armed Services Committee on March 22, 2017.
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
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
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
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 12, 2016
Commentary
Russia's “Firehose of Falsehood” Propaganda Model
Russia's propaganda model is high-volume and multichannel, and it disseminates messages without regard for the truth. It is rapid, continuous, and repetitive, and it does not commit to consistency.
Jul 11, 2016
Report
China's Evolving Approach to Strategic Deterrence May Prove Challenging to the U.S. and Its Allies
China is rapidly closing what was once a substantial gap between the PLA's strategic weapons capabilities and its strategic deterrence concepts. The United States will likely need to assure its allies that it will continue to maintain the capability and the resolve to support them in a crisis.
Apr 7, 2016
Commentary
Inciting Peace: Elevating Alternatives to ISIL's Message
Malicious ideas, ideologies, and narratives (such as those promoted by ISIL) cannot just be eliminated — they need to be replaced.
Mar 30, 2016
Commentary
Unconventional Options for the Defense of the Baltic States
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.
Feb 5, 2016

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RAND Topic:
Information Operations

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Hunter Stoll

Defense Analyst

Hunter Stoll is a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation. His research interests include Russian foreign policy, transatlantic security, information warfare, and domestic extremism. He has served in multiple components of the U.S. Army for over nine years, primarily as an intelligence officer.…
Elizabeth Bodine-Baron

Senior Information Scientist

Elizabeth Bodine-Baron is a senior information scientist at the RAND Corporation specializing in complex networks and systems. Her research interests include network analysis and modeling for both domestic and national security issues. Her recent work includes analysis of cyber and information…

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