Analyzing Integrated Social Media-Faciliated Propoganda Campaigns using Social Network Analysis and Cyber Forensics
Abstract
The proposed research aims to develop capabilities to support U.S. Naval and Military operations to manage and adapt to the information ecology and fill the research gap to better understand the emerging socio-technical behaviors, necessary to support situation awareness, risk assessment, mission assessment, policy design (kinetic or non-kinetic), and for an overallmission effectiveness. Specifically, the proposed research will develop socio-computational models to advance our understanding of cyber campaigns grounded in the dynamics of various social and communication processes, such as group formation, activation, decentralized decision making, and collective action. Leveraging cyber forensics and deep web search based methodologies; the study will extract relevant Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) from a varietyof information sources, in a guided snowball data collection manner. Further, our ONR-fundedresearch will form the basis for developing models to identify key actors and key groups responsible for coordinating cyber campaigns and disseminating propaganda. At a more fundamental level, embracing the theories of collective action and collective identity formation, the research will identify the necessary conditions that lead to the success or failure of cybercampaigns explain the risk vs. motivation tradeoff governing the sustenance of such coordinated acts, and develop predictive models of deviant socio-technical behaviors. The developed models will help assess the state of the discontent and unrest among the people anddesign risk-averse strategies to enhance human security for NATO forces, U.S. forces, citizens, and international aid workers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612412
Entities
People
- Sharon Kaufman
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Arkansas System