On 5 April, the Valdai Discussion Club held an expert discussion on topic ‘Informational Warfare on the Cyber Sphere: Fake, Semi-Fake, and Reality’
With tensions between Washington and Moscow escalating, information warfare has become an area of significant contention between the two major powers. The rapid distribution of extreme views over the internet has exacerbated this information confrontation by creating an environment which fosters the polarization of political views by the general public.
Meanwhile, claims that Russia has attempted to interfere in US elections using cyber-enabled influence operations essentially undermining American democracy, are countered by claims that the US engaged in information warfare to bolster support for protesters in Kiev. The shadowy nature of facts in cyberspace enables the public denial of such claims. Well-meaning stakeholders find themselves held hostage to polarized citizens, narrowing the space for compromise. Finding common ground, however controversial, is essential for creating lasting solutions to these shared problems.
How can Internet communications be made secure? What can be done to find a common language and avoid mutual accusations? These and other issues are to be addressed by the discussion participants.
Speakers:
Bruce W. McConnell, Senior Vice President, EastWest Institute;
Andrey Krutskikh, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation on Information Security.
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.