Understanding Online Information Operations: Development of an Influence Network for Scientific Inquiry Testing Environment (INSITE)

Influence operations that spread propaganda, disinformation, and social hysteria pose a critical threat to U.S. national security. Effective countermeasures must be developed to respond quickly and anticipate future threats. A major challenge in creating these countermeasures is the lack of a sophisticated testing environment for evaluating detection tools and algorithms. By integrating social sciences with applied mathematics, researchers can better understand social influence and response behaviors. The proposed solution involves creating a researcher-controlled social media platform to test and develop social engineering countermeasures in a realistic environment, providing crucial data and testing opportunities.

Authors: Courtney Crooks, Tom McNeil, Ben Sawyer, Matthew Canham, David Muchlinski

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