Disinformation and Information Warfare

Disinformation, Misinformation, DIP, and Propaganda

Disinformation is the "false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth."^[1]

While I like to think of misinformation as benign spreading of false information, through misunderstanding or similar, it's often used interchangeably with disinformation.

DIP, or Deceptive Imagery Persuasion, is the use of images (real or generated) as a kernel of truth to legitimize a lie. For example, using video footage of a violent protest from 5 years ago when describing a relatively peaceful protest that occurred yesterday.

Propaganda is the "the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person,"^[2] and often uses disinformation and DIP to accomplish its goals, and often uses key phrases or ear worms (or "technical tasks"^[3]) to plant an idea and track spread.

Information Warfare or Information Domain Warfare is "the battlespace use and management of information and communication technology (ICT) in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent... [and] the manipulation of information trusted by a target without the target's awareness so that the target will make decisions against their interest but in the interest of the one conducting information warfare."^[4]

(source) Ryan McBeth

Ryan McBeth is a great resource for information on disinformation, and I've decided to link to several of his videos here where he discusses the real-world effects of disinformation and information domain warfare.

Sources

What is Information Warfare? - The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
Russian web brigades - Wikipedia
Jewish Internet Defense Force - Wikipedia
Operation Earnest Voice - Wikipedia

Tags

#defs_sec