conference paper
A Technical Exploration of Strategies for Augmented Monitoring and Decision Support in Information Warfare
Abstract
The evolving landscape of global security has shifted away from the traditional dynamics of superpower confrontation towards a more complex interaction involving both state and non-state actors. The information revolution driven by technologies and the use of Internet has contributed to the change of the way decision-making process are made, and how they nowadays relay on a computer-based rationale-making procedure. Internet along with digital platforms and social networks have envisaged a new domain through which influence collective perceptions, holding a significant strategic importance in military operations. The increasing dependence on Information Technology (IT) has introduced both opportunities and vulnerabilities, such as the dissemination of disinformation campaigns via the Internet. This essential factor of the switch of the evolution of societal relationships, shows the importance of the psychological domain in cyber operations, particularly in the military field. Technologies are the main way through which psychological operations are used and how they can influence the decision-making processes of the users involved in Information Warfare (IW). The aim of this study is to analyse how technology enablers can provide defensive countermeasures for the decision-making capabilities of a user engaged in IW and Psychological Operations (PSYOPS). It is explored a set of technical enablers that can aid to mitigate the downside effects of IW targeted against individuals engaged in disinformation campaigns and to support their decision-making processes. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this research is the proposal of defensive mechanisms to diminish the likelihood of success of an adversarial attack based on the exploitation of the psychological domain. © 2024 ACM.
Author keywords
cognitive bias, disinformation, hybrid threats, information operations, psychological effects