UNDERSTANDING AND ASSESSING INFORMATION INFLUENCE AND FOREIGN INTERFERENCE

The information influence framework was developed to identify and to assess hostile, strategy-driven, state-sponsored information activities. This research proposes and tests an analytical approach and assessment tool called information influence and interference to measure changes in the level of strategy-driven, state-sponsored information activities by the timeliness, specificity, and targeted nature of communications as well as the dissemination tactics of publicly available information. The framework also offers the opportunity to identify possible or unlikely strategic intents and to assess the level of information influence and interference achieved by adversaries.