Digital Forensic Research Lab

Tue, Oct 1, 2024

Analysis: a brave new reality after the UN’s Global Digital Compact

Resident Senior Fellow Konstantinos Komaitis describes global internet governance negotiations as "convoluted" and "out of reach"

by Konstantinos Komaitis

Digital Policy Internet Governance

Wed, Sep 25, 2024

Crypto-scam hosts pop-up livestream featuring a deepfaked Elon Musk 

'Traveling Circus' livestream raked in $50,000 over the course of two hours by featuring a deepfake of Musk to solicit investments

by Max Rizzuto

United States

Mon, Sep 23, 2024

How the Venezuelan regime weaponized video and messaging apps to persecute dissidents

Maduro promotes app that encourages users to report critics of the regime amid widespread demands for election transparency

by Daniel Suárez Pérez

Elections Online Harassment
US government seizure notice

Fri, Sep 6, 2024

Explainer: the Russian influence operations targeting the 2024 US elections

The September 2024 deplatforming of Operation Doppelganger demonstrates how US voters are being targeted by Russian influence operations

by Roman Osadchuk, Eto Buziashvili

Democracy Disinformation

Wed, Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them: Mapping the Global Spyware Market and its Threats to National Security and Human Rights

The Mythical Beasts project pulls back the curtain on the connections between 435 entities across forty-two countries in the global spyware market.

by Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

Cybersecurity Proliferation of Offensive Cyber Capabilities

Wed, Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them: Data and Methodology

Learn more about the methodology and dataset behind Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them: Mapping the Global Spyware Market and its Threats to National Security and Human Rights

by Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

Cybersecurity Proliferation of Offensive Cyber Capabilities

Wed, Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them

Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them: Mapping the Global Spyware Market and its Threats to National Security and Human Rights is concerned with the commercial market for spyware and provides data on market participants.

by Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

Cybersecurity Proliferation of Offensive Cyber Capabilities

Fri, Aug 30, 2024

Pro-Russia, pro-Wagner activity surges following Mali and Wagner forces’ defeat in battle

An inauthentic network of YouTube channels pushed pro-AES and anti-Ukraine narratives after the Tinzaouaten confrontation

by Valentin Châtelet

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Fri, Aug 30, 2024

TikTok accounts target West Africa with AI-generated content promoting Putin and regional leaders

TikTok accounts with thousands of followers spread pro-Russia and anti-France narratives

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Fri, Aug 23, 2024

How AI tools fueled online conspiracy theories after Trump assassination attempt

Deepfakes, cheapfakes, and AI-fueled scams spread online following the shooting; in other instances, real footage was dismissed as fake

by Private: Beatriz Farrugia

Artificial Intelligence Elections

Mon, Aug 19, 2024

AI in Cyber and Software Security:  What’s Driving Opportunities and Risks?

This issue brief discusses the drivers of evolving risks and opportunities presented by generative artificial intelligence (GAI), particularly in cybersecurity, while acknowledging the broader implications for policymakers and for national security.

by Maia Hamin, Jennifer Lin, Trey Herr

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity

Mon, Aug 12, 2024

Russia uses video games in Africa to spread anti-Western propaganda

A Hearts of Iron IV mod exemplifies how video games can become propaganda tools

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa France