Symposium: Cognitive Dominance - Misinformation, Disinformation, and Influence Operations in Great Power Competition

Of the many threats emanating in cyberspace this symposium will focus on the cognitive impact of misinformation, disinformation, and influence operations.

Today, malign influence operations, including but not limited to divisive ethnic, religious, and nationalist messaging, mass electoral interference, and personal and group vilification leverage mis- and disinformation and have become important strategic foreign policy as well as domestic strategies.

Policymakers, thought leaders, and vulnerable populations are all susceptible to strategic messaging by adversaries seeking to advance their interests through dominance in the cognitive domain.

Though largely aware of this hostile activity, many countries that represent the global liberal order lack effective strategies to counter the challenge at home, in conflict theaters, or in other contested spaces. As a result, the liberal, rules-based system of governance and world order is at risk of systemic dissipation and global contraction.

Cyberspace a critical domain

The speed and constant introduction of new and emerging technologies pose many strategic challenges. Many of these challenges play out in cyberspace, and our growing dependence on digital systems presents a multitude of complicating and constantly evolving factors. Cyberspace has become a critical domain of great power competition, irregular warfare, and technological rivalry, and has wide-ranging impacts on global security and geopolitics.

Disinformation and influence operations

Of the many threats emanating in cyberspace this symposium will focus on the cognitive impact of misinformation, disinformation, and influence operations. Today, malign influence operations, including but
not limited to divisive ethnic, religious, and nationalist messaging, mass electoral interference, and personal and group vilification leverage mis- and disinformation and have become important strategic foreign policy as well as domestic strategies. These issues are currently being prioritized by some nations whose defensive
approaches will be discussed at this symposium.

Contact

Lars Hedström, Swedish Defence University, lars.hedstrom@fhs.se Michael Miklaucic, National Defense University, miklaucicm@ndu.edu

By invitation only.