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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

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
Report
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
Report
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
Report
An Update on Information Operations in Afghanistan
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.
Aug 28, 2015
Commentary
Loose Clicks Sink Ships: When Social Media Meets Military Intelligence
Social media updates can reveal military intelligence. But stopping a soldier from posting a geotagged tweet or Instagram photo presents challenges.
Aug 14, 2015
Journal Article
Assessing and Evaluating DoD Inform, Influence, and Persuade Efforts: Guidance for Practitioners
The Most Informative Results for DoD IIP Efforts Come from the Intersection of Academic Evaluation and Public Communications.
Jul 8, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Information Operations

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Miriam Matthews

Associate Director, Workforce, Development, and Health Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE

Miriam Matthews is the associate director of the Workforce, Development, and Health program within RAND Project AIR FORCE and a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation. She conducts research in the areas of political psychology and diversity and multiculturalism.
Alyssa Demus

Associate International/Defense Researcher

Alyssa Demus is an associate international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her research examines Eurasian political and security issues; information warfare and influence campaigns; efforts to counter adversary influence efforts; and perceptions and decisionmaking. Demus is fluent in…

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