The spread of false information and the increase of misinformation affects the modern world and destroys the very fabric that keeps our society and democracy safe.
It has never been so difficult to separate fact from fiction, and with the popularity of social media, misleading information is spreading like wildfire. It undermines the elections, distorts the truth and puts people in danger. So what can be done to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the accuracy of the information disseminated? We asked a panel of experts to discuss it live on Twitter as part of the larger campaign called Serious Security Action Against Misinformation.
Group:
- Neura Jones – Fraud, Cyber Security and FinTech Consultant
- Madeleine Howard is responsible for Cygenta’s social and technical commitment.
- Tony Morbin is the editor-in-chief of IT Security Guru.
- Ioann Kirie – CEO/Founder of Edgescan
- Javvad Malik – security lawyer at KnowBe4.
We first asked the group what the false messages meant to them and whether they had ever been cheated. As these are professionals with different roles in cyber security, it was interesting to observe their reactions when some even admitted to being misled:
A1 : I thought Ozzy Osborne bit off the head of a live bat – it was dead (so it’s okay). I was responsible for the false news, to make a joke about April Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools, and I asked my editor to take a picture of the person who was quoted, so of course people can be fooled. #Fiber safety #Adysinformation #
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A1 : I thought Ozzy Osborne bit off the head of a live bat – it was dead (so it’s okay). I was responsible for the false news, to make a joke about April Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools’ Fools, and I asked my editor to take a picture of the person who was quoted, so of course people can be fooled. #Fiber safety #Adysinformation #
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A1. I think I am cheated more often (even if only temporarily) than I would like to admit. In many cases it is a place where an image or video is taken out of context or given misleading labels that arouse resentment. Yeah, even though I know, I’m still worthless. #AADis information https://t.co/a3fupjusTO
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
Curiously, on the same day as the Twitter discussion about the Heightstrite Woolworths retailer’s shuffle, there was a lottery on social and news networks that clearly shows the reality of the false news of the day:
A1 : Well, for a second, he almost… https://t.co/ZE12f8ctQ0#AADisinformation.
– Neura Jones (@neirajones) 27. October 2020
But what role do algorithms, bots and trolls play in spreading false reports and false information? They’re often considered cunning messengers, sent to deceive the masses…
A2-bots are a key element in the dissemination of disinformation… …they help spread lies around the world before the truth comes out! #AADis information https://t.co/ArQ8Fh1P7Q pic.twitter.com/lBdVY1QPBP
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
A2 : A big part! Bots are often made to look like legal accounts. An excellent example is Susan of the NHS, whose profile used emotional clues to make people believe the story was real and to provoke a reaction on social networking sites. https://t.co/5wqexrYQbB.
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A2 : #Disinformation They automate disinformation by claiming to be a demographic group that is naturally against movement, but against the natural course of thought. (Turkey votes for Christmas).
It makes you think. Robots automate this process on a large scale.
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
The media landscape has also changed, and we seem to have entered a culture in which information is defined by content intended to elicit reactions and interest.
by an audience encouraging them to click on the page titles above. As a result, a bait culture was quickly introduced, which certainly blurs what we now consider to be a new culture.
A2 : #Disinformation They automate disinformation by claiming to be a demographic group that is naturally against movement, but against the natural course of thought. (Turkey votes for Christmas).
It makes you think. Robots automate this process on a large scale.
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
A3 : Absolutely. The use of sensational language and exaggerated pretensions to play with our emotions (such as fear, panic and intrigue) is an effective method to increase the spread of false news. It can be considered large-scale social engineering… ! #Adys information
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
We all read some big headlines that aroused our interest and made us click to find out more – just to find out what wasn’t in the headlines. Or that the story was completely unfounded. We’re living it now. # ITSecGuru #cybersecurity #
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
When we think of false news and misinformation, some people think it only affects the mainstream media, but in reality it can affect any sector. So it’s crept into the cyber security industry, and how long have our members been trying to stop it?
A4 : #Adiz information Yes, especially with regard to online sales, functional descriptions and marketing. #snakeoil
The attribution of an attack may be wrong and hard to prove, but we all love this story!
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
A4 I believe that false messages and misinformation unfortunately directly or indirectly affect almost every aspect of life, and cybersecurity is no exception.
From reputation damage to personal attacks and mergers with social engineering attacks. https://t.co/5buMXoCeWT pic.twitter.com/F3ilkUPXMm.
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
A4 : Cybercriminals use fake messages as another way to spread their scams, making it harder for individuals and organizations to be safe online. It is important that we now begin to become aware of this! #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A5 : Within @CygentaHQ we share a lot of articles and news with each other. We support each other by commenting on the article if it’s not true. It is very important that we help each other to understand and notice false messages. #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A5 Yes. Through education, awareness and training of users. Also a real ROP about detecting wrong information @KnowBe4 https://t.co/4TnZo5wquv #AADisinformation https://t.co/Qtkdhu4eWl.
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
A5 : To the outside world, we are aware of misinformation and false news, and I recently posted a blog post in which I shared some of the best tips for detecting and protecting against misinformation: https://t.co/iPyvkpWXX8. We’ll share more resources this week. #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A5 : # I’ve called counterfeiters and snake oil sellers in public, but it’s hard because they seem emotional or have a different agenda. #
With the Covid (Irish-American) application we carried out a cyber attack and also had to retrieve false messages. Louder, be brave!
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
Given the negative impact of forged messages, should they be considered a threat to cyber security? If you look at the way it is used, it can damage the reputation of an individual, organisation or country and can also manipulate opinions – both of which can lead to unjustified damage to that entity, both physically and financially. What role can the cyber security sector as a whole play in preventing its spread?
A6 : #Adysinformation # Yeah, I’d say so. Since cybersecurity exists primarily to protect people. It can cause anger and division, civil unrest. I think the best cyber attacks will lead to civil unrest, which will have the biggest impact. pic.twitter.com/XOG7JLeao
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
A6 : Yeah, false reports are disrupting our understanding of the threat landscape. If we’re misled about who’s attacking us or why, it changes our defensive position. War always resorts to deception. #Information
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A6 : We know that groups of nation states will try to mislead the origin of the attacks in order to attribute them to other countries. This can have very serious consequences and demonstrates the importance of imputation. #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A7 : #Adysinformation # Call them up. # Inform the platform owners of the accounts that are potential robots Have the courage! We cannot allow alternative facts to be standardised!
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
A7 Awareness raising, information and establishment of mechanisms for reporting misinformation, fraud and deception.
Also invest in technologies that can automate the process wherever possible, such as automatic watermarking. #https://t.co/lEaZDPKQuE.
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
A7 : Cyber security is not only about preventing leaks, but also about ensuring the availability and integrity of systems and data. Integrity is about not changing our data and knowing where the information really comes from so we can put it in context. #Adysinformation
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A7 : At the same level, education and awareness and technology can also play a role in automation, filtering, reputation testing, etc. #AADis information https://t.co/oij9AavMzm.
– Neura Jones (@neirajones) 27. October 2020
Although training and awareness-raising on the issue of false messages seems important to prevent this, what would be the best solution to better regulate the information and messages sent to the public?
A8 : Social media platforms will continue to develop and expand their fact-checking teams to enable users to identify false and misleading stories. He promised that Twitter would make news and encourage people to check the legitimacy of articles. #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
We arrange hate speech and incitement to violence. If a newspaper can’t publish things that have bad consequences without suffering the consequences, why social networks – or their users? Education, regulations and laws are needed. #Adysinformation
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A8 : ~AADisinformation A factcheck Bot! ~ If we can have fake robots, can we have fact-checking robots? ~ ~ Good robots, happy robots, fast robots. The regulation must be true or false, but must not filter freedom of expression (important). https://t.co/jR2ur3Ivmb.
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
To conclude the discussion, we wanted to know to what extent the falsification of information has influenced the concept of freedom of expression. This is the dilemma we now face, and while we agree that this balance seems to get out of hand with the increasing demand for information…but is it necessarily the right information that is published, and to what extent is this interpreted as an opinion?
A9 : Yes, but this has always been the case, especially when the opinion comes from a trustworthy brand. ~ Adyinformation… ~ ~
– Neura Jones (@neirajones) 27. October 2020
A9 : It’s complicated. To me, false news is a distortion of facts intended to mislead, while freedom of speech is an expression of opinion. We need to focus less on defining boundaries and more on recognizing false and malicious messages.
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
The A9 has been like this for a long time. I think it is not so much an opinion that is misinterpreted as a machine in the background deliberately exerting pressure and contributing to misinformation. #AADis information https://t.co/JjnXcJPYPl
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
Finally, we will see a time when freedom of speech exists without false news… …most people have an optimistic outlook:
A10 : No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We must deal with the coronavirus as well as common sense and best practices so that we do not endanger ourselves and others.
– Neura Jones (@neirajones) 27. October 2020
A10 : #Adysinformation # Yeah, maybe, but we need to check the facts. Freedom of speech does not contradict lying. News is based on facts, speeches are opinions. Everyone has the right to know whether his or her opinion is true or not (uninformed).
– Eoin K (@EoinKeary) 27. October 2020
A10 : Yes – if we think the false reports are a deliberate misrepresentation, although I confess I don’t know how we do it. #Adysinformation
– Tony Morbin (@tonymorbin) 27. October 2020
A10 : Freedom of expression makes it possible to hear voices and opinions. But we must put an end to the news, the rumours and the outright lies that exploit the vulnerable. #Adysinformation
– Madeline (@MadzzHoward) 27. October 2020
A10, yeah. #AADis information https://t.co/cSLROciGie pic.twitter.com/bGrrIoBRid
– Javvad Malik v2.0 (@J4vv4D) 27. October 2020
A10 : No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We must deal with the coronavirus as well as common sense and best practices so that we do not endanger ourselves and others.
– Neura Jones (@neirajones) 27. October 2020
As we face a global pandemic, it is clear that we are also fighting a virtual disease of false news and misinformation. Fortunately there are people who stand up for their position and the campaign against misinformation during the Serious Safety Week 2020 has brought this issue to the forefront to bring more people to the attention. Education is the key, and checking sources can go a long way in keeping you well informed. To view all materials of the Serious Safety Week 2020, click here.
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