Digital Forensic Research Lab

A woman holds a phone with a portrait of Soviet leader Josef Stalin on case, during an event marking the 70th anniversary of Stalin's death, in his hometown of Gori, Georgia March 5, 2023. (Source: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze)

Thu, Mar 14, 2024

Stalin lionized on Georgian TikTok

TikTok videos promote myths about late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, portraying him as a religious, well-educated strongman

by Sopo Gelava

Georgia Politics & Diplomacy
Fake version of the Ukrainian news site UNIAN.

Tue, Mar 12, 2024

Doppelganger targets Ukrainian and French audiences via Facebook ads

The latest iteration of the Russian information operation reveals an increasing sophistication in tactics against Ukraine and other audiences

by Valentin Châtelet, Roman Osadchuk

Disinformation Europe & Eurasia

Mon, Mar 11, 2024

Advancing the narrative: analyzing the maturation of Palestinian militant videos

Gaza militants increasingly use collaborative releases, advanced editing, and narrative-driven storytelling when sharing battlefield footage

by Dr. Michael Loadenthal

Conflict Israel

Mon, Mar 4, 2024

Online campaign targeted Egyptian economist after his death in custody

Suspicious accounts on Facebook and X amplified state narratives about Ayman Hadhoud as human rights groups raised questions about his death

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Egypt Facebook
DFRLab Nonresident Fellow Konstantinos Komaitis speaking at an event.

Fri, Mar 1, 2024

Second Statement of Konstantinos Komaitis to the United Nations on the Global Digital Compact

Delivered before the United Nations on the topic of the Global Digital Compact, identifying opportunities it presents

by Konstantinos Komaitis

Digital Policy Government (Includes international governing bodies)
DFRLab Nonresident Fellow Konstantinos Komaitis speaking at an event.

Wed, Feb 28, 2024

First Statement of Konstantinos Komaitis to the United Nations on the Global Digital Compact

Delivered before the United Nations on the topic of the Global Digital Compact, addressing successes and lessons learned

by Konstantinos Komaitis

Digital Policy Government (Includes international governing bodies)

Wed, Feb 28, 2024

The 5×5—Alumni perspectives on Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge

Alumni of Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge share their experiences, and discuss the impact of such simulated exercises to prepare for real life cyber attacks.

by Nitansha Bansal, Isabella Wright

Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge Cybersecurity

Wed, Feb 21, 2024

Arms sale claim heightened tensions ahead of 2023 Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks

Online narratives claimed Iran or Russia might exploit French weapons that were allegedly bound for Armenia

by Ani Mejlumyan, Valentin Châtelet

Armenia Azerbaijan

Tue, Feb 20, 2024

French prime minister faces onslaught of online attacks

Investment scam promoted via Meta Ads, AI-fueled smear campaigns on X, and a Russian-led disinformation operation, and ignite a social media frenzy around Gabriel Attal

by Valentin Châtelet

Advertising Artificial Intelligence
An image of a GPU overlaid with a computer terminal showing the results of an nmap command, a network scan.

Thu, Feb 15, 2024

Hacking with AI

Can generative AI help hackers? By deconstructing the question into attack phases and actor profiles, this report analyzes the risks, the realities, and their implications for policy.

by Maia Hamin, Stewart Scott

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity
UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, September 19, 2018. (Source: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)

Wed, Feb 14, 2024

Suspicious accounts on X amplify allegations against UNRWA

More than 130 X accounts exhibiting hallmarks of inauthentic coordination targeted US politicians with messaging critical of the UN agency in Gaza

by Dina Sadek, Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict Gaza

Thu, Feb 8, 2024

Future-Proofing the Cyber Safety Review Board

The Cyber Safety Review Board seeks to examine and learn from complex failures in cyberspace. As Congress considers how to design its next iteration, there are ways to make it more effective and adaptable for the increasing challenges to come.

by Maia Hamin, Alphaeus Hanson, Trey Herr, Stewart Scott

Cybersecurity Incidents, Vulnerabilities, and Information Sharing