Supply-chain decoupling doesn’t stop rival nations from hacking each other and can make it worse. A cyber-espionage expert explains what does work.

Between 2010 and 2022, 80 countries enacted new legislation or amended existing laws in an attempt to curb the spread of misinformation online. This sharp and global adoption of misinformation laws, however, cannot be explained by the sudden emergence of false or misleading information, as these problems have existed for a very long time.

Insecure software is a national security risk, costs the U.S. billions of dollars annually, and exposes users’ information to malicious actors. Software developers (vendors) who fail to securely develop their products currently face few legal repercussions, even if they engage in industry-agreed bad practices.

Cyber espionage is the use of cyber tools and techniques to gather intelligence or steal sensitive information from targeted entities. This form of espionage poses significant risks to national security, economic stability and corporate integrity. Given the complex and often hidden nature of cyber espionage activities, accurately measuring their costs presents a significant challenge.

In recent years, countries in the Sahel region of Africa have faced widespread insecurity and instability. Stretching across the northern tier of sub-Saharan Africa, Sahel countries Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have all experienced a series of military coups and rising levels of right-wing extremism.

While social media disinformation has received significant academic and policy attention, more consequential forms of intentional manipulation target the underlying digital infrastructures upon which society depends.

Disinformation spread via digital technologies is accelerating and exacerbating violence globally. There is an urgency to understand how coordinated disinformation campaigns rely on identity-based disinformation that weaponizes racism, sexism, and xenophobia to incite violence against individuals and marginalized communities, stifle social movements, and silence the press.

As cyber threats become increasingly central to international politics, state-sponsored cyber attacks have become an instrument of geopolitical leverage. 

What impact do foreign authoritarian influence operations (FIOs) have on democracy? Through an examination of democratic attitudes in 15 African countries between 2009 and 2023, we present preliminary but compelling evidence that autocrats export authoritarianism.

For almost a decade, the study of misinformation has taken priority among policy circles, political elites, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the media.