Awaken the Cyberwarrior in You
Cyberwarfare isn’t confined to IT companies or military organizations—it is a pervasive threat that touches every facet of our lives.
Our adversaries attack not just our infrastructures but also our cognitive spaces, using tactics designed to undermine trust, sow division, and erode societal stability.
Among the most insidious weapons in this battle are misinformation and disinformation, tools wielded to manipulate perceptions, influence behaviors, and destabilize communities. These next-generation cyberattacks don’t rely on traditional weapons or explosives. Instead, they use technology to deliver a relentless, targeted barrage—much like non-stop mortar fire—aimed at our hearts, minds, and collective consciousness.
What Is Mis/Disinformation?
Mis- and disinformation—false or deceptive information—isn’t a new phenomenon. History is rife with examples, from propaganda campaigns to psychological operations. However, the Digital Age has amplified their potency, enabling false narratives to spread at unprecedented speed and scale.
Working Definitions:
Misinformation is false information shared without intent to deceive. Examples include rumors, misinterpretations, or incorrect facts shared in good faith.
Disinformation, on the other hand, is weaponized. It involves deliberately false content crafted to deceive, manipulate, and cause harm. The creators of disinformation act with malice, intending to erode trust, incite division, and destabilize systems.
Today, advanced technologies such as social media algorithms, artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and data analytics supercharge the spread of falsehoods. A single misleading post can reach millions within minutes, amplified by algorithms designed to prioritize engagement. This creates echo chambers, polarizes communities, and reinforces biases, turning unawakened individuals into unwitting amplifiers of harmful narratives.
Learn more: AFCEA Resources for Navigating Misinformation and Disinformation
How Does Mis/Disinformation Invade Our Cognitive Spaces?
Simon Sinek is attributed to an interesting quote, “There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”
In the context of modern management, the quote emphasizes the different “lever” options supervisors.
When considered in the context of cyberwarfare, the quote illuminates another aspect of human vulnerability. With mis/disinformation, our adversaries have the potential to be both manipulating and inspiring actions from our people.
That’s a concerning thought!
The consequences of mis- and disinformation extend far beyond the surface-level misunderstandings and arguments that often play out on social media. These tactics are designed to infiltrate our cognitive spaces, profoundly manipulating thoughts, emotions, and eventually, our actions. False narratives erode trust in critical institutions, from governments and media organizations to healthcare systems and scientific research.
On a broader scale, these tactics undermine national security by exploiting societal divisions, weakening unity and resilience. Such manipulation is no accident; it is a calculated assault designed to destabilize our democratic nation. .
Learn more: Dividing a United Nation Through Weaponized Information
Adversarial Manipulation: The Expanding Threat
Adversarial manipulation works by exploiting the intricacies of human cognition—targeting biases, fears, and emotions in ways that resonate deeply and make the tactics difficult to counter. Cyberattacks of this nature aren’t really random. They are well-informed, thanks to the large amounts of data available on the American psyche (TikTok, anyone?).
Cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, make individuals more likely to accept information that aligns with their existing beliefs, leaving them vulnerable to false narratives, especially when those narratives are expertly crafted to appeal to them. Emotional manipulation is another powerful tool in this cyberwarfare arsenal, as it utilizes content crafted to provoke fear, anger, or outrage spreading rapidly. These emotional triggers engage users before they have the chance to critically evaluate the information’s validity, further amplifying its impact.
Emerging technologies magnify the impact of these manipulative tactics. Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables bots to generate convincing false narratives at an unprecedented scale, often targeting specific demographics with precision. Deepfakes add another layer of complexity by creating hyper-realistic but entirely false video and audio content, which undermines trust in authentic evidence and makes discerning truth increasingly challenging. Social media algorithms may unintentionally amplify sensational or controversial content, allowing disinformation to spread far more rapidly than corrections or counter-narratives. Together, these factors create a landscape where manipulation is not just possible—it’s pervasive. And it’s happening now - in America - courtesy of our adversaries.
Learn more: “Disinformation—The Influence of Foreign Actors” Podcast
How Can We Awaken Our Inner Cyberwarrior?
No one is inherently immune to destructive influence. Our dynamic cognition renders us all potential targets. There’s no Digital Iron Dome to block out the barrage of mis/disinformation we’re mortared with on a daily basis. We must build resilience within.
To reference one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, we must all become the "masters of our domain", (in this case) cognitively speaking. Awakening your inner cyberwarrior involves recognizing your vulnerabilities, strengthening your skills, and actively cultivating cognitive resilience.
Here are three things you can start practicing today to awaken the cyberwarrior in you:
Recognize Your Vulnerabilities
Deepen your understanding of how information can be weaponized against you, and identify what vulnerabilities - biases, fears, highly reactive emotions, etc. - that you may have. What hurt you in the past? What emotions make you feel overwhelmed? What aspects of life do you subconsciously avoid? What keeps you up at night? Not sure? If you’ve got any sort of a digital footprint online, chances are our adversities know what keeps you up at night.
Strengthen Your Skills
Cultivate digital literacy. Know what technologies are out there and how they are being used. Learn, learn, learn, learn learn. You either learn how to use technology, or it’ll use you. Spend some time on continuing education related to internet platform algorithms - how do they work? Find a fact-checking system that works for you and can be easily implemented at the moment. For me, I like to stick with the original source - not the rehashed sound bite swirling across social media. Bone up on advanced technologies that can be used to manipulate you - deepfakes, disinformation, etc.
Cultivate Cognitive Resilience
What’s the current status of your well-being? Do you have in-person friends that you do fun things with? Do you invest in your community through service and volunteering? Are you actively engaged in hobbies and recreation? When was the last time you went outside? Can you have a positive conversation with people without having your ego triggered and engaging in self-decretive behaviors? Every area that you are neglecting in your own well-being will be a potential vulnerability for this type of cyberwarfare. Our adversaries prey on our collective vulnerabilities - the fraying fabric of society that once held us together.
If you’d like a non-tech book on the disintegration of communal resilience, check out Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam. Another must-read for anyone with an internet connection is The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher.
Learn more: “'Digital Chatter' — The Growing Challenge of Mis/Disinformation” Webinar
The Cyberwarrior Mindset
Being a cyberwarrior is not about technical expertise—it’s about adopting a proactive, informed mindset. No one can do it for you - it comes from within. You must cultivate cognitive resilience for yourself through daily practice. It’s not just another browser extension you can download. All of us participating in our connected world need to recognize the responsibilities we have in shaping our multi-domain environment.
The battlefield of cyberwarfare extends beyond the screen. It’s more complex than just data leaks and disruptive hacks. It involves the quest for strategic influence over our cognitive, communal, and societal spaces. The damage done here has the potential to ripple through our organizations, culture, and even our nation. Denying this element of modern warfare will only set us up to fail.
By awakening the cyberwarrior in you, you will enhance your resilience, increase your awareness, and strengthen your skills and strategies in ways that are desperately needed in a world filled with threats against democracy and our shared values of freedom.