Election securityIntelligence Agencies Accuse Iran, Russia of Trying to Use Voter Registration Data to Sow Chaos Ahead of US Election By Jeff Seldin Published 22 October 2020 U.S. intelligence agencies are accusing Iran and Russia of trying to use voter registration data in “desperate attempts” to sow chaos and confusion ahead of the November 3

DisinformationRussian Propaganda Hits Its Mark Published 22 October 2020 Given the size and scope of the Russian propaganda campaign that targeted the U.S. electorate in 2016, it is critical to understand both the impact of that campaign and the mechanisms that can reduce the impact of future campaigns, says a new RAND report. Given the size

DeepfakesSeeing Is No Longer Believing: Manipulation of Online Images Published 22 October 2020 Image editing software is so ubiquitous and easy to use, and deadline-driven journalists lack the tools to tell the difference, especially when the images come through from social media. A peace sign from Martin Luther King, Jr, becomes a rude gesture; President Donald

Our picksThe Tree That Could Help Stop the Pandemic | “Machines Set Loose to Slaughter” | Overestimating Earthquake Dangers Published 21 October 2020 ·  The Tree That Could Help Stop the Pandemic ·  In Michigan Plot to Kidnap Governor, Informants Were Key ·  The All-American Mind of a Militia Member ·  U.S. Diplomats and Spies Battle Trump Administration

TerrorismThe Violent Extremist Lifecycle: Lessons from Northern Ireland Published 22 October 2020 A new guide, released by CREST, draws on a reanalysis of interview data from the 1980s and 1990s that explored the lifecycle phases among loyalist and republican paramilitaries from across Northern Ireland. It offers twelve lessons that are relevant not only to those

MigrantsParents of 545 Migrant Children Separated from Their Families Cannot Be Found Published 21 October 2020 A court-appointed steering committee has been working to locate the families of about 2,700 children separated by DHS’ Zero Tolerance border policy, which separated children and toddlers from their parents. The policy was overturned in court in mid-2018, but

Election securityKathleen Hall Jamieson on the 2020 Election Published 21 October 2020 Professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson discusses what we learned from the election four years ago plus how journalists can responsibly share hacked content and what role the public at large can play. She says that in some ways, the country is better prepared today

The Russia connectionRussia Launches Disinformation Campaign to Undermine Public Confidence in Oxford University’s COVID Vaccine Published 21 October 2020 The U.K. government said it condemned as “utterly deplorable” a Russia disinformation campaign to undermine public confidence in a coronavirus vaccine currently under development by Oxford University scientists. The Times reported on Friday that Russian government

The Russia connectionDetails of Russia’s Cyberattacks against Olympic, Paralympic Games Revealed Published 21 October 2020 The U.K. On Monday (19 October) exposed malicious cyberactivity from Russia’s GRU military intelligence service against organizations involved in the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games before they were postponed. The U.K. National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) said that the incident

Guns68 Percent of Firearm Deaths Are from Self-Harm, Majority in Older Men in Rural Regions Published 21 October 2020 A new study of gun injuries and deaths in Ontario found that 68 percent of firearm-related deaths were from self-harm, and they most often occurred in older men living in rural regions, pointing to the need