Tag: propaganda
America’s enemies strive to sway the US presidential election
Nations hostile to America, primarily Russia and China, are currently doubling down on their efforts to influence the outcome of the upcoming US elections. So far, their efforts appear to be directed at preventing Donald Trump from winning a second term as president, possibly fearing a Republican victory could herald the US taking a tougher stance on international affairs. According to an extensive nine-page Microsoft threat intelligence report: “Foreign malign influence concerning the 2024 US election started off slowly but has steadily picked up pace over the last six months due initially to Russian operations, but more recently from Iranian activity.”
Indian elections targeted by cyber-attacks
India’s current elections have become a prime target for malicious cyber activity on the part of foreign threat actors and independent hacktivist groups. With the results expected to be counted on June 4, the spike in cyber-attacks is a stark warning for other countries such as the US, the UK and the European Union (EU), which are also holding national elections later this year. Cybersecurity company Resecurity reports that the early stages of cyber-attacks have been observed since the launch of an #OpIndia campaign last year. Escalating geopolitical tensions across the globe are now heightening the threat to India at this crucial time, with the number of attacks increasing by nearly 300% following the launch of #OpIsrael, which coincided with heightened online protests in the context of the ongoing Israel-Gaza crisis.
China uses AI to power new propaganda campaign
China has stepped up its propaganda and disinformation war with the US in the latest escalation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s cyber war on the West. Microsoft reports a marked rise in CCP-affiliated covert influence operations that engage with target US audiences on social media.