Information manipulation and cyber attacks pose a serious challenge to stability and trust in democratic processes
The process of digitalization creates significant opportunities for development, but at the same time it brings increased risks that undermine the security of states, institutions and citizens. Information manipulation and cyber attacks pose a serious challenge to the stability and trust in democratic processes, especially in conditions of complex geopolitical dynamics and increasing interconnectedness of societies.
The threats to security and stability faced by countries in the region and across Europe, as well as the ways to strengthen regional and international cooperation in order to enhance resilience and protection against cyber and information risks, were the focus of the session “Resilience to Information and Cyber Threats as a Factor of Stability and Security in the Region,” held as part of the 21st edition of the e-Society.mk conference, organized by the Metamorphosis Foundation.
Sazdovski: Sanctions are a successful solution against hybrid threats
Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Finland, highlighted last year’s cutting of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea as an example of a cyberattack with significant impact. The activities of a tanker with dubious ownership prompted a response from Finland and other regional actors, from which, according to Sazdovski, lessons should be drawn on how to address hybrid threats.
“The event caused a weakening of communication services, which is a significant challenge for digitally dependent societies. However, Finland’s rapid coordinated response, the rapid identification of the event and the investigation that answered questions about the tanker, as well as the joint action with Estonia affected the trust of citizens,” says Sazdovski.
The event, which occurred shortly after Finland and Sweden became NATO members, was clearly not a random incident but a hybrid activity, which should cause fear, panic, intimidation, and distrust in the Baltic countries, but also within NATO. On the other hand, according to Sazdovski, after this case, the public and institutions became more aware of the vulnerability to large-scale hybrid activities, and many countries intensified the process of monitoring critical infrastructure and the need for rapid response readiness.
“In hybrid threats, the adversary often operates under the radar, and sanctions are one of the solutions that have proven effective. The European Union imposed sanctions on Russia, which proved to be an effective measure and, together with the freezing of financial assets, the blocking of production capacities, and the control of technology exports, made the cost of the hybrid attack far greater than its benefits,” says Sazdovski.
Romaniuk: The main source of information in Ukraine is the Telegram application
Anastasia Romaniuk, a digital platform analyst at the Civil Network Opora in Ukraine, says that in the country facing war, the primary source of news is the Telegram app, through which almost 70 percent of the population gets its information, although it does not regulate the content published at all.
Romaniuk says that narratives that spread hate speech and violence are transmitted through anonymous Telegram channels that have hundreds of thousands of subscribers with an audience of millions and enormous influence, without any accountability or ethical rules.
“Through secret channels, mobilization policy is being targeted and narratives are being spread to not trust the military authorities and not accept mobilization invitations. Fear is being spread and citizens’ hostility towards the state is being encouraged,” says Romaniuk, pointing out that they are actively working on researching Telegram narratives, which are extremely difficult to refute, especially in the current conditions in Ukraine where there is a lack of sufficient official public information from institutions and the military.
Rizaov: Strengthening regional and international coalitions as a solution
Goran Rizaov, Program Coordinator at the Metamorphosis Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the Meta.mk News Agency, believes that long-term exposure to disinformation causes citizens to trust no one except their closest ones, closed in small circles in which they do not even need to check the information.
As examples of recent cyberattacks in the country, Rizaov pointed to the attack on the infrastructure of the public service broadcaster Macedonian Radio Television, which, just three days before the local elections, prevented the main news program and the debate between mayoral candidates from being broadcast. He also cited the cyberattack by thousands of bots on the Instagram account of the newspaper Sloboden Pechat.
“The attack on MRT might not have even been noticed if the information hadn’t gone viral on social networks. The management of the public service only addressed it the following day with a brief statement confirming a cyberattack on their infrastructure. What’s interesting, however, is that no one verified whether this was really the case, nor what news was supposed to air that evening,” says Rizaov.
He points out that the cyberattack on Sloboden Pechat is an example of how social media algorithms can be abused to manipulate reach. In this case, a third party used the system to achieve the opposite effect: by leaving hundreds of comments, they actually reduced the profile’s reach.
“There are ways to address cyber threats, for example, building, strengthening, and expanding regional and international coalitions, and civil society should lead and spearhead this effort,” Rizaov believes.
Petrovic: In Serbia, cyber attacks against citizens come from three sides
Nikola Petrovic, Executive Director of the Center for International and Security Affairs ISAC from Serbia says that in this country, cyber threats and hybrid attacks in the information space are considered among the lowest high-level threats, while the greatest risks come from political actors in power.
“This is a long-standing trend in Serbia, where control of the media and information space is in the hands of people who lack the necessary capacity. Serbia ranks first in Europe for the number of email attacks targeting citizens’ personal data with viruses and other malicious tools. Countries in the Western Balkans account for over 20 percent of such attacks globally,” says Petrovic.
In Serbia, he points out, attacks on citizens come from three sides. These are the authorities and institutions that use disinformation to impose their will, foreign centers of power from Russia and China that have their own interests, as well as private entities that want to impose power. This creates distrust among people and encourages them to retreat into small circles of close, trusted individuals.
“The most important tool for resilience against disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks is education. It may be expensive and time-consuming, but it is perfect and gives the best and most concrete results,” believes Petrovic.
The conference continues throughout the day. In the afternoon, the “Ilija Županovski” Award will be presented for exceptional achievements in the fight against disinformation.
Link to the original article: Образованието е најважната алатка за отпорност кон дезинформациските кампањи – Meta.mk
