Disinformation Depot is an ongoing series exploring the latest disinformation news, tactics, and trends as they are discovered and how they relate to the 2024 U.S. election cycle. May the honest candidates win!
Cybersecurity and disinformation researchers track threats globally as new tactics, strategies, or techniques emerge everywhere. This gives us better insight into the types of attacks that can be launched against our upcoming elections. Let’s dive in.
Russian Disinformation Is Ramping Up Globally. Again.
France just accused Russia of running a long-term online disinformation campaign against Ukraine’s Western allies. Leveraging platforms like X, propaganda “news” sites like Sputnik, and more, Russia has spun false narratives “massive in scope” about their successes in Ukraine and why they’re justified in their invasion. The goal of this campaign is to drive a wedge into Western opinion in the hopes of stopping the flow of weapons to Kyiv. In this divided atmosphere, the U.S. electorate has already begun to fracture as support for Russia has grown, especially since Tucker Carlson interviewed Vladimir Putin recently.
Russia is also using new disinformation tactics throughout Africa. The U.S. State Department issued a release about a new information agency calling itself “African Initiative,” which is receiving guidance and support from Russian intelligence. This is being watched closely as the disinformation being spread by this agency is focused on breaking down trust in the United States, which could give the research community new insight into what we may see unfold here very soon.
China Has Been Hacking Everyone
China, no slouch in the disinformation delivery game (just ask Taiwan), has hacked into critical U.S. infrastructure. In an advisory released by CISA, a state-sponsored hacking group, Volt Typhoon, has compromised infrastructure in the U.S. Department of Energy, EPA, TSA, and others. These types of intrusions are complementary to disinformation campaigns in that they can help destabilize a society by reinforcing perceived weaknesses. China’s intelligence apparatus could put out propaganda that says, for example, that U.S. water infrastructure is failing and Americans will go without fresh water… and then proceed to shut down water systems they’ve hacked into here.
The FCC Bans Robocalls… However…
As I’ve previously written on the New Hampshire Primary, we have an update. The FCC banned robocalls, a much agreed-upon step, but it doesn’t really have the teeth it claims.
The crux of the issue here is enforcement. The FCC has improved its “traceback” capabilities since 2020 to catch criminals. However, the issue is that there are too many robocalls in play to trace all of them. Federal agencies don’t have the manpower to investigate all of them except the largest offenders. This means that fly-by-night robocalls based on AI can quickly pop up, send out deepfake calls, and then disappear quickly. This issue isn’t going away for the election.
Nikki Haley Has Past Rumors About Her Turned Into “Fact”
Past rumors, in the wake of Donald Trump’s questioning of why Nikki Haley’s husband wasn’t campaigning, were turned into fact by prominent supporters of the former President. In both 2010 and 2018, there were allegations that the former Ambassador had affairs while married. Haley has denied these rumors multiple times previously.
However, in the disinformation age, rumors become facts. Trump acolyte, Laura Loomer, tweeted:
Treating unproven allegations intentionally as facts is Disinformation 101.
President Biden “Refuses” To Take Cognitive Test
It’s no secret that both major candidates are under increasing scrutiny over their age. Cognitive decline is natural in humans, so the question of having presidential candidates take cognitive tests as a requirement for running is being debated.
President Biden is scheduled for a standard medical exam, and his Press Secretary stated that a cognitive test was not part of this checkup. Naturally, the vast disinformation machine spun this.
“Biden Refuses to Take Cognitive at His Annual Physical,” proclaimed far-right blog Hot Air with a rather unflattering picture of the president on the ground. However, the video of the press conference paints a much different picture: the test simply wasn’t part of the annual checkup.
Naturally, the hyperbolic version was picked up and spun across various far-right platforms:
Disinformation is the scourge of our time, driven by those who wish to undermine the democratic standards and values of those countries that have held up the light of democracy. Sadly, this situation isn’t going away any time soon. Stay tuned.
Nick Espinosa
An expert in cybersecurity and network infrastructure, Nick Espinosa has consulted with clients ranging from small business owners up to Fortune 100 level companies for decades. Since the age of 7, he’s been on a first-name basis with technology, building computers and programming in multiple languages. Nick founded Windy City Networks, Inc at 19 which was acquired in 2013. In 2015 Security Fanatics, a Cybersecurity/Cyberwarfare outfit dedicated to designing custom Cyberdefense strategies for medium to enterprise corporations was launched.
Nick is a regular columnist, a member of the Forbes Technology Council, and on the Board of Advisors for both Roosevelt University & Center for Cyber and Information Security as well as the College of Arts and Sciences. He’s also the Official Spokesperson of the COVID-19 Cyber Threat Coalition, Strategic Advisor to humanID, award-winning co-author of a bestselling book, TEDx Speaker, and President of The Foundation.
