By Amy Henderson.
Information operations have been around for millennia, yet with the advent of the internet and the democratization of content creation, the barriers to entry have lowered to a point that anyone can play now.
In the course of our latest research on disinformation, with an eye toward election security, we have covered the what, how and why of disinformation campaigns, state and non-state actors that engage in this behavior, as well as the psychological effect on society. To finalize this research, we want to ensure that we leave our audience with actionable guidance on how they can counteract disinformation, stop the spread and educate themselves.
Learn, vet, breathe
Learn: Take the time to understand your state or local environment and election and voting processes.
Visit and follow your official secretary of state or local election director’s social media sites and websites for up-to-date information.
Understand, even at a high level, the country’s election system. This may include how popular voting and electoral systems or parliamentarian systems work.
Understand the tactics and techniques of digital media and how they are used by disinformation actors, including targeted ad-buying and clickbait headlines to expose emotional responses.
Vet: Read articles and examine data sources.
Know your sources.
Bot accounts: Retweets and trending articles can come from amplifying bots. If you don’t know the account, investigate its history and pay attention to timestamps. If you’re unsure, a simple tool like Bot Sentinel can help.
Verify data: If an article highlights a study, or report, be sure you can search for and verify its findings. Simple Google or DuckDuckGo ..
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