Digital Forensic Research Lab

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, Iria Puyosa

Elections Latin America
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 Ali Chenrose

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 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 Ali Chenrose

Africa France

Tue, Aug 6, 2024

Pro-Russian Facebook pages spread anti-French, anti-UN content in West Africa

Network of inauthentic pro-Russian pages spread false claims targeting elections, France, and the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR

by Valentin Châtelet

Advertising Africa

Tue, Jul 30, 2024

Inauthentic Chinese X accounts amplifying Trump shooting and Biden withdrawal conspiracy theories

Spreading false and misleading anti-US narratives, the network highly resembles operation known as Spamouflage Dragon

China Disinformation