CYBER PROPAGANDA
Introduction
What Is Cyber Propaganda?
Cyber Propaganda Goals
Cyber Propaganda Tactics
Defending Against Cyber Propaganda
INTRODUCTION
Propaganda: Message designed to persuade its intended audience to think and behave in certain
manner
Cyber: When involving computers or computer networks (such as the internet)
Cyber propaganda can be broadly defined as the use of modern electronic means to manipulate an event
or influence public perception toward a certain point of view. The propagandists use varied techniques
including stealing private information and releasing it to the public, hacking machines directly, creating
and spreading fake news, and so on. While cyber propaganda mostly targets politicians and persons of
influence, it has also been used by hacktivists to target private organizations.
Cyber propaganda tactics vary depending on the specific end goal—which can range from discrediting a
target, changing the outcome of an electronic vote, or even spreading civil unrest. We’ve broadly
categorized cyber propaganda tactics into the following:
Database hacking – cybercriminals can break into secure systems such as private servers or data
storage facilities to steal critical data. The stolen information can be released strategically, timed to
create the most negative impact. Campaigns such as these are usually state-sponsored and take
considerable time to execute.
Machine hacking – the most straightforward way to manipulate an event is to hack the source of the
result; one example is hacking voting machines to manipulate the outcome. Entities can also
pressure the vendors of the voting machines into changing the result.
Fake news – releasing fake news is a powerful and high-impact tactic that can change public
perception almost instantly, thanks to a fast-paced news cycle. Fake news involves the creation of
bogus news reports, spreading alternative facts or even fake images, and sharing them on popular
social media platforms. The material can seem realistic enough that the public believes and spreads
the information, which makes counteracting the damage very difficult.
There are two main factors at the root of successful propaganda campaigns:
1. Gathering valuable and significant information
2. Using strong channels of communication
Without a way for messages to reach the public, propaganda is not possible
What is Cyber Propaganda?
Modern propagandists have been quick to take advantage of new modes of communication, and to
leverage their relative insecurity
They have hacked databases and personal devices, and have also spread messages much more
quickly and broadly through social media and online news sites
This more evolved approach has been identified as cyber propaganda
What is Cyber propaganda?
Cyber propaganda can be defined as the use of information technologies to manipulate an event or
influence public perception toward a certain point of view
Cyber propaganda Goals
Cyber propaganda can be used to:
1. Discrediting a target
2. Changing the outcome of an electronic vote
3. Spreading civil unrest
Cyber propaganda tactics
Cyber propaganda tactics vary depending on the specific end goal
These tactics can be categorized into:
Database hacking
Machine hacking
Fake News
Database hacking
Cybercriminals can break into secure systems such as private servers or data storage facilities to
steal critical data
The stolen information can be released strategically, timed to create the most negative impact
Machine hacking
The most straightforward way to manipulate an event is to hack the source of the result
One example is hacking voting machines to manipulate the outcome
Entities can also pressure the vendors of the voting machines into changing the result
Fake News
Releasing fake news is a powerful and high-impact tactic that can change public perception
almost instantly, thanks to a fast-paced news cycle.
Fake news involves the creation of bogus news reports, spreading alternative facts or even fake
images, and sharing them on popular social media platforms
Fake News
Fake News The material can seem realistic enough that the public believes and spreads the
information, which makes counteracting the damage very difficult
EXAMPLE
15 2016 US presidential election : "Pope backs Trump", "Hillary sold weapons to ISIS", "FBI
Agent Suspected in Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead" - these fake headlines all went viral on
Facebook in the run up to the election, and they had outperformed real news on Facebook
Defending against cyber propaganda
Defending against cyber propaganda
• Defending against database hacking and machine hacking is a matter of layered security
solutions.
• Organizations should take measures to protect and secure their network and their machines
Defending against cyber propaganda In terms of fake news and misinformation campaigns, the
best way to manage an attack of this kind is counterpropaganda
References • Jonathan Stray, Defense Against the Dark Arts: Networked Propaganda and
Counter-Propaganda, 24 Feb 2017, [http://jonathanstray.com/networked-propaganda-and-
counter-propaganda]
• Trend Micro, Cyber propaganda 101, 10 Mar 2017,
[https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/cyber-
propaganda- 101]
• Trend Micro, Fake News and Cyber Propaganda: The Use and Abuse of Social Media, 13 Jun
2017 , [https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/fake-
news-cyber- propaganda-the-abuse-of-social-media]
• John C. Tanner, Fake news is cyber propaganda, a weapon in the information wars, 5 July
2017, [https://disruptiveviews.com/fake-news-propaganda-information-wars/]
• Feike Hacquebord, How Cyber Propaganda Influenced Politics in 2016, 12 Jan 2017,
[http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/cyber-propaganda-influenced-politics-
2016/]
• James Carson , What is fake news? Its origins and how it grew in 2016, 16 Mar 2017,
[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/fake-news-origins-grew-2016/] 19
