STONewsArchive: Mitigating and Responding to Cognitive Warfare

Title: Mitigating and Responding to Cognitive Warfare
Start_Publishing: 14/04/2022
Panel_Page: STO
Page_ID: 3874
Main_Body_Multi: Follow up:  NATO ACT Tide Sprint Spring 2022; Cognitive Warfare Workshop:  Mitigating and Responding to Cognitive Warfare

The Cognitive Warfare workshop was held on 4 April 2022 as part of the Scientific Track of the NATO ACT Tide Sprint conference 4-8 April 2022 in Sopot, Poland. The workshop focused on identifying Science and Technology (S&T) required to defend against Cognitive Warfare.  (This was a hybrid virtual and in-person event with over 60 people attending.)  

The workshop presented an S&T Framework on CogWar and an approach to understand adversary actions and intent used to inform how NATO might counter CogWar.  The S&T framework can be used as a lens to examine potential gaps and vulnerabilities in the OODA decision framework. There is an urgent need to outline an S&T strategy to assess knowledge for providing timely, defensive recommendations to NATO’s stakeholders aimed at mitigating the impacts of CogWar on nations and for implementing new capabilities. The S&T Framework is an important first step in this guidance to NATO stakeholders and the scientific community. The NATO CogWar workshop was successful and highly acknowledged due to the S&T Team’s effort in presenting the first CogWar S&T framework and proposed guidance towards  mitigating and responding to emerging threats in 21st Century Cognitive Warfare.


COGNITIVE WARFARE REQUIRES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE GLOBAL SECURITY!


Dr. Janet M. Blatny (NOR, Chair), Norwegian Defence Research establishment (FFI); Dr. Yvonne R. MASAKOWSKI (USA, Co-Chair), US Naval War College

Workshop Abstract

The uncertainty of today’s global security environment, as evidenced by the recent Russia/Ukraine conflict, serves as an example of the influence and impact of Cognitive Warfare (CogWar) in the 21st Century. CogWar can be portrayed as a means of shaping the global geopolitical strategic environment by influencing and manipulating human perspectives and behavior in support of an adversary’s strategic objectives. “Trust” therefore can be considered as a target and an essential component of CogWar in which the human is the vulnerable target. Misinformation and disinformation campaigns are targeting trust amongst individuals, societies, and nations. Misinformation and disinformation, poisoned datasets, etc., may be integrated within artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) networks or database that are trusted to influence human thought and behavior towards supporting adversarial strategic agendas. The human can unwittingly be shaped into thoughts and behaviors that align with those of our adversaries.


CogWar highlights the need to identify and invest in the development of the requisite Science and Technology tools, techniques, and technologies to defend and secure the CogWar environment. The NATO CogWar workshop focused on identifying vulnerabilities in the operational Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (OODA) loop decision cycle.  These vulnerabilities were examined across S&T  efforts in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Psychological Interventions, and Social and Cultural issues (including Social, Cultural, and Emotional Intelligence) as a means of identifying S&T areas for investment to defend against an adversary’s messaging and prevent them from gaining a strategic advantage. Advances in technologies e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Information and Communication technologies will continue to play a pivotal role in the operational OODA loop decision-making framework in future warfare. Advanced technologies such as AI/ML algorithms and networks serve as enablers of adversarial campaigns to globally disseminate misinformation, disinformation campaigns aimed at shaping human thought and behavior, as well as influence and destabilize the global security environment.

Page_Intro: The Cognitive Warfare workshop was held on 4 April 2022 as part of the Scientific Track of the NATO ACT Tide Sprint conference 4-8 April 2022 in Sopot, Poland. The workshop focused on identifying Science and Technology (S&T) required to defend against Cognitive Warfare.  (This was a hybrid virtual and in-person event with over 60 people attending.)  


The workshop presented an S&T Framework on CogWar and an approach to understand adversary actions and intent used to inform how NATO might counter CogWar.  The S&T framework can be used as a lens to examine potential gaps and vulnerabilities in the OODA decision framework.

HomePageImage: 2022-tide-sprint.png
HomePageBodyText: Follow up:  NATO ACT Tide Sprint Spring 2022; Cognitive Warfare Workshop:  Mitigating and Responding to Cognitive Warfare

The Cognitive Warfare workshop was held on 4 April 2022 as part of the Scientific Track of the NATO ACT Tide Sprint conference 4-8 April 2022 in Sopot, Poland. The workshop focused on identifying Science and Technology (S&T) required to defend against Cognitive Warfare.  (This was a hybrid virtual and in-person event with over 60 people attending.)  

The workshop presented an S&T Framework on CogWar and an approach to understand adversary actions and intent used to inform how NATO might counter CogWar.  The S&T framework can be used as a lens to examine potential gaps and vulnerabilities in the OODA decision framework. There is an urgent need to outline an S&T strategy to assess knowledge for providing timely, defensive recommendations to NATO’s stakeholders aimed at mitigating the impacts of CogWar on nations and for implementing new capabilities. The S&T Framework is an important first step in this guidance to NATO stakeholders and the scientific community. The NATO CogWar workshop was successful and highly acknowledged due to the S&T Team’s effort in presenting the first CogWar S&T framework and proposed guidance towards  mitigating and responding to emerging threats in 21st Century Cognitive Warfare.


COGNITIVE WARFARE REQUIRES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE GLOBAL SECURITY!


Dr. Janet M. Blatny (NOR, Chair), Norwegian Defence Research establishment (FFI); Dr. Yvonne R. MASAKOWSKI (USA, Co-Chair), US Naval War College

Workshop Abstract

The uncertainty of today’s global security environment, as evidenced by the recent Russia/Ukraine conflict, serves as an example of the influence and impact of Cognitive Warfare (CogWar) in the 21st Century. CogWar can be portrayed as a means of shaping the global geopolitical strategic environment by influencing and manipulating human perspectives and behavior in support of an adversary’s strategic objectives. “Trust” therefore can be considered as a target and an essential component of CogWar in which the human is the vulnerable target. Misinformation and disinformation campaigns are targeting trust amongst individuals, societies, and nations. Misinformation and disinformation, poisoned datasets, etc., may be integrated within artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) networks or database that are trusted to influence human thought and behavior towards supporting adversarial strategic agendas. The human can unwittingly be shaped into thoughts and behaviors that align with those of our adversaries.


CogWar highlights the need to identify and invest in the development of the requisite Science and Technology tools, techniques, and technologies to defend and secure the CogWar environment. The NATO CogWar workshop focused on identifying vulnerabilities in the operational Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (OODA) loop decision cycle.  These vulnerabilities were examined across S&T  efforts in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Psychological Interventions, and Social and Cultural issues (including Social, Cultural, and Emotional Intelligence) as a means of identifying S&T areas for investment to defend against an adversary’s messaging and prevent them from gaining a strategic advantage. Advances in technologies e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Information and Communication technologies will continue to play a pivotal role in the operational OODA loop decision-making framework in future warfare. Advanced technologies such as AI/ML algorithms and networks serve as enablers of adversarial campaigns to globally disseminate misinformation, disinformation campaigns aimed at shaping human thought and behavior, as well as influence and destabilize the global security environment.


Created at 14/04/2022 14:13 by ad.rodes
Last modified at 14/04/2022 14:18 by ad.rodes
 
Go back to list
Home(NATO STO)