Fusing Narrative and Social Cyber Forensics to understand Covert Influence - Malaysia
Abstract
The information domain has become a key battleground of nation-state competition and conflict in the 21st century. With the prolifer,ation of information access via new media technologies, more people have more access to information than ever before. At the same ti,me, this information can be manipulated by nation-state actors through disinformation and propaganda, sometimes with adverse effects, on sovereignty and internal political stability. Over the last decade, numerous nation states have made increasing use of such info,rmation operations as part of competing in the contested ?Gray Zone? against militarily superior competitors.A key aspect of disinfo,rmation and propaganda is narrative, which offers an alternative form of rationality in which information is true, not because it me,ets standards of evidence and logical reasoning, but because it creates a coherent story and resonates with other stories people alr,eady believe. As such, narrative is a vehicle for appealing to values and creating emotional reactions that motivate action. Moreove,r, it is efficient because of vertical integration, where cultural-level strategic narratives are widely known and accepted by membe,rs of a target audience. An example is the ?national humiliation? narrative, which portrays China as the victim of centuries of impe,rialism and mistreatment by Japan and the West. These cultural-level strategic narratives are used to frame events in a local narrat,ive about the here-and-now?for example, linking the South China Sea dispute to Japanese seizure of territory in the late 1800s. Thes,e local narratives provide a foundation for individuals to modify their personal narratives to align with the local ones promoted by, propagandists and influencing attitudes and behaviors of the target audience. As Anglo-European dominance of global economic and po,litical institutions wanes, East Asia and Southeast Asia will only rise in geopolitical significance. Therefore, we study online inf,luence targeting Malaysia that uses vertically integrated narrative to manipulate public opinion and create political action favorin,g rising hegemonic states in the region. Subject matter experts (SMEs) in Malaysia will aid in identification issues prone to influe,nce in each country, as well as insight into online venues of influence, propaganda, and disinformation. We will conduct narrative a,nalysis of how narratives circulating in the information environment align with national interests of regional players. Simultaneous,ly, we will conduct social cyber forensic analysis to track activity online and the dissemination of ideas and elements of these nar,ratives, and to observe virtual proxies of political action. We will follow up with expert consultation workshops to determine how t,hese narratives align with personal identity narratives and intentions towards action. Our research will provide: (1) a comparative,study of prominent issues subject to influence; (2) a mapping of the information environment and the flows of the online influence;,(3) the degree to which the influence facilitates vertical integration between national, current event, and personal level narrative,s. This research will help fill the critical capability and knowledge gap the United States faces with regard to ?informationized? w,arfare. Approved for Public Release
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142212604
Entities
People
- Scott Ruston
Organizations
- Arizona State University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy