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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
Stalled in Ukraine, Kremlin Increasingly Turns to Political Theater
Stymied in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has amped up the political theater to achieve his objectives. How do we interpret Putin's statements? While no nuclear threat should be ignored, Putin's pronouncements remain in the realm of propaganda.
Apr 17, 2023
Commentary
Standing Up to Kim Jong-un's Divide-and-Conquer Strategy
Kim Jong-un is frightened by even the current modest flow of information into the North. He may be prepared to reduce his provocations if those threats lead to the further spread of outside information in the North. At the very least, the ROK and the United States could try such efforts.
Jan 6, 2023

Explore Information Operations

Journal Article
The Evolution of Special Operations as a Model for Information Forces
This article draws an analogy between special operations and information forces and suggests the history and evolution of SOF could serve as a model and provide lessons for the development of information forces.
Feb 19, 2021
Blog
The Most Popular RAND Research of 2020
Here are the RAND research projects that resonated most in 2020, a year unlike any in living memory. Topics include remote learning, election disinformation, income inequality, and more.
Dec 21, 2020
Research Brief
Improving Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment
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.
Dec 9, 2020
Report
Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment: Dividing Roles and Responsibilities Between Intelligence and Information Professionals
Operations in the information environment require close coordination between intelligence and information operations personnel, but this does not often occur in practice. A review of these challenges highlighted a range of potential solutions.
Dec 9, 2020
Report
Human Aspects of Air Force Operations
The special operations community has focused on leveraging human-focused capabilities, but the conventional Air Force has yet to fully embrace human aspects of military operations. Is there a need for a joint warfighting domain focused on human aspects of military operations?
Nov 30, 2020
Multimedia
Expert Insights: Using AI to Tackle Disinformation Online
RAND Europe analyst Linda Slapakova talks with RAND senior behavioral scientist William Marcellino about their study on human-machine detection of online-based malign information.
Oct 23, 2020
Journal Article
Social Media and Influence Operations Technologies: Implications for Great Power Competition
Russia, China, and the so-called Islamic State are three key U.S. adversaries that have exploited online technologies for propaganda. This chapter reviews the aims, capabilities, and limitations of online propaganda for each of these entities.
Oct 23, 2020
Blog
Russian Propaganda, Domestic Terrorism, America's Electric Grid: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how Americans react to Russian memes on Facebook, the possibility of domestic terrorism during election season, protecting the U.S. electric grid, and more.
Oct 16, 2020
News Release
Facebook Users May Spread Russian Propaganda Less Often When They Are Aware of Its Source
Russian propaganda is hitting its mark on social media—generating strong partisan reactions that may help intensify political divisions—but Facebook users are less apt to press the “like” button on content when they learn that it is part of a foreign propaganda campaign.
Oct 15, 2020
Report
Facebook Users May Spread Russian Propaganda Less Often If They Know Its Source
Russian propaganda is hitting its mark on social media, generating strong partisan reactions that help intensify political divisions. But Facebook users are less apt to press the like button on content when they learn that it is part of a foreign propaganda campaign.
Oct 15, 2020
Blog
Election Interference on Twitter, Insulin Prices, Remote Learning: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on evidence of interference in the 2020 election on Twitter, U.S. insulin prices compared to those of other countries, how parents can help their kids' education stay on track during the pandemic, and more.
Oct 9, 2020
News Release
Coordinated Efforts on Twitter to Interfere in the U.S. Presidential Election Are Likely Foreign
A coordinated effort on Twitter to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election—using trolls (fake personas that spread hyper-partisan themes) and super-connectors (highly-networked accounts)—aims to sow distrust, exacerbate political divisions and undermine confidence in American democracy.
Oct 8, 2020
Report
Foreign Actors Are Again Using Twitter to Interfere with the U.S. Election
After the 2016 U.S. election it became clear that Russian agents had engaged in online efforts to sow chaos and inflame partisan divides among Americans. Interference is happening again now. It includes posts from trolls—fake personas spreading hyper-partisan themes—and superconnectors designed to spread messages quickly.
Oct 8, 2020
Report
Counter-Radicalization Bot Research: Using Social Bots to Fight Violent Extremism
As the online recruitment of violent extremist organizations grows, the U.S. government may benefit from promising emerging technology tools to rapidly detect targets of such recruitment efforts and deliver counter-radicalization content to them.
Oct 8, 2020
Blog
How Russia Targets U.S. Elections, Black Workers and COVID-19, TikTok: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how Russia targets U.S. elections, Americans' increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, Black workers and COVID-19, and more.
Oct 2, 2020
Multimedia
Russian Interference in the 2020 U.S. Election
RAND military sociologist Marek Posard describes several broad risks of foreign interference in American democracy and explains how Russia may use reflexive control theory to cause disruption in the 2020 U.S. Election.
Oct 1, 2020
Report
How Russia Targets U.S. Elections
In this campaign season, Russia might try to manipulate U.S. voters through social media as it did in 2016. New technologies have made these efforts easier. Russia's tactics aim to polarize Americans, create distrust, and paralyze the political process. What is the best defense against them?
Oct 1, 2020
Commentary
Insider Threat at Twitter Is a Risk to Everyone
Three young hackers were charged in the hijacking of dozens of high-profile Twitter accounts. Their tactics point out how vulnerabilities at tech platforms can pose a risk to national security.
Aug 7, 2020
Blog
COVID Learning Loss, Russian Trolls, Artificial Intelligence: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on helping students recover learning losses, fighting Russian trolls, racial disparity in unemployment benefits, the race for AI leadership, and more.
Jul 17, 2020
Commentary
How You Can Fight Russia's Plans to Troll Americans During Campaign 2020
The goal of Russian interference is to trigger emotional reactions and drive people to ideological extremes, making it nearly impossible to build a consensus. But Americans are less likely to have their emotions manipulated if they are aware that manipulation is the goal.
Jul 14, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Information Operations

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Mark Simpson

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Mark Simpson is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. His research interests include national security, military command and control, deterrence, and information operations in great power…
Natalie W. Crawford

Senior Fellow

Natalie Crawford is a senior fellow and distinguished chair in Air and Space Policy at the RAND Corporation. She is also a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has held a number of leadership positions within RAND Project Air Force, and was vice president and director from 1997 to…

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