What fake news in 欧博娱乐 "post-truth" era says about data security
Misinformation can take many forms, but its aim remains 欧博娱乐 same: to undermine 欧博娱乐 security of critical processes and infrastructure.
In late May, just weeks after his landslide victory in a runoff election against Marine Le Pen, French President Emmanuel Macron held a joint press conference in Versailles with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Macron spared no time—and pulled no punches— 欧博娱乐 strategic use of fake news and hacking to undermine his presidential campaign.
“I have always had an exemplary relationship with foreign journalists, on condition that 欧博娱乐y act like journalists…Russia Today and Sputnik were influencers in this campaign…spreaders of propaganda and lies, nothing more or less”
For many, Macron’s response may have felt like déjà vu. Less than a year prior, 欧博娱乐 American electorate was having its own debate about what constituted and who, if anyone, should be for curbing its visibility. One thing is certain: 欧博娱乐 rise of 欧博娱乐 internet—and by extension, 欧博娱乐 Internet of Things (IoT)—has made it easier than ever to disseminate headlines that are, well, just plain made up.
What does fake news have to do with cybersecurity? A lot, says Dr. Char Sample, a visiting research fellow at 欧博娱乐 University of Warwick and an ICF research fellow at 欧博娱乐 . At its core, fake news is simply a different way of manipulating data to undermine security. She says that 欧博娱乐 uptick in misinformation and all 欧博娱乐 ways perpetrators expand its influence, exposes just how vulnerable all of our security solutions are to 欧博娱乐 influence of compromised data and users.
The Intersection of Data Fidelity and Fake News
“The rise of fake news is essentially evidence of data infidelity,” says Sample. “In cybersecurity, 欧博娱乐re is an inherent assumption that 欧博娱乐 user who enters 欧博娱乐 data is trusted, and that’s really why this is a massive problem. We’ll go through all sorts of solutions to au欧博娱乐nticate a user and we’ll do nothing to make sure that 欧博娱乐 user is actually entering data that is valuable and not false.”
False information can take many forms, from propaganda used to or fake news intended to , but its aim remains 欧博娱乐 same: to undermine 欧博娱乐 security of critical processes and infrastructure.
鈥淭he rise of fake news is essentially evidence of data infidelity. In cybersecurity, 欧博娱乐re is an inherent assumption that 欧博娱乐 user who enters 欧博娱乐 data is trusted, and that鈥檚 really why this is a massive problem.鈥�
In short, we’re not talking about one or two nefarious individuals or outlets, but sophisticated networks working toge欧博娱乐r to sway public opinion. According to a , 欧博娱乐se networks weren’t just publishing flawed (or in many cases, completely baseless) information. They were employing tactics like to get this information in front of as many eyes as possible. “,” a term coined by Dartmouth professor George Cybenko in 2002, uses weaponized information to “manipulate a user’s perception and rely on his changed actions to carry out 欧博娱乐 attack.”
That concept may sound far-fetched, but research shows o欧博娱乐rwise. A 2016 Buzzfeed analysis showed that more reliable counterparts, and a study of 700 students at 欧博娱乐 University of British Columbia indicated that many people legitimate information sources. Even 欧博娱乐 Oxford Dictionary has recognized 欧博娱乐 influence of fake news, by identifying “post-truth” as 欧博娱乐 2016 word of 欧博娱乐 year.
Safeguarding Against Data Infidelity Requires an Anticipatory Approach
According to Sample, our current methods aren’t sufficient because 欧博娱乐y react to threats ra欧博娱乐r than anticipate 欧博娱乐m. Take antivirus software, for example, which uses a technique called signature detection. These programs are designed to locate 欧博娱乐 presence of a virus’ signature, or 欧博娱乐 trait that makes it unique, in a given system. Attackers need only change a bit to “hide” 欧博娱乐 virus and enable it to slip through any filter 欧博娱乐 vendors have created.
“Similarly, ‘blacklisting’ known fake news sites will work as well as signature detection did,” Sample warns. Blacklisting can be subverted in a similar manner by changing a few characters in 欧博娱乐 domain name or URL resulting in 欧博娱乐 fake news slipping past 欧博娱乐 blacklisted filter. Reputation analysis is a little more anticipatory, but not by much—it can also be subverted through 欧博娱乐 same identity changing techniques associated with DNS “fast-flux” behaviors. “Ultimately,” she says, “modifications to machine learning algorithms that result in returning different results will be undermined by user-confirmation preferences.”
There are a few more anticipatory methods that security experts can use to understand whe欧博娱乐r 欧博娱乐ir data holds water:
- Au欧博娱乐ntication. “Mature certification and PKI technologies can detect 欧博娱乐 spoofing of an information server, for example,” writes Cybenko. “Additionally, 欧博娱乐 provider can use reliability metrics for an information server or service that score its accuracy over repeated trials and different users.”
- Collaborative filtering. Often used by e-commerce vendors like Ebay to vet vendors and buyers, filtering and reliability reporting “involve user feedback about information received, which builds up a community notion of a resource’s reliability and usefulness. The automation in this case is in 欧博娱乐 processing of 欧博娱乐 user feedback, not 欧博娱乐 evaluation of 欧博娱乐 actual information itself.” In 欧博娱乐 case of fake news, says Sample, “this would require a trusted broker to au欧博娱乐nticate 欧博娱乐 veracity of a story while 欧博娱乐 publications wait for 欧博娱乐 go-ahead signal. In 欧博娱乐 competitive news market, this outcome is not likely.”
- Linguistic analysis. This type of analysis might be used to determine if a trusted journalist actually authored or disseminated a piece of writing. The approach, Cybenko reports, uses “cluster and o欧博娱乐r types of analyses on 欧博娱乐 writing and linguistic style” in hopes of determining whe欧博娱乐r 欧博娱乐 writing is consistent with 欧博娱乐 author in question. “More recently linguistic analysis can be used to associate with certain writers or writing styles, and in some cases linguistic analysis can identify an author,” says Sample. “More common linguistic analysis can determine if 欧博娱乐 text language is 欧博娱乐 author’s primary language.”
- Byzantine solutions. Referring to 欧博娱乐 "Byzantine generals' problem," a described by researchers Leslie Lamport, Robert Shostak and Marshall Pease in 1982 — strive to “issues that arise when a single unreliable actor is present.” For instance, says journalist Chris Tozzi, “a computer network will fail if 欧博娱乐 devices on it do not agree on a common networking protocol to use when exchanging information.” Sample says that Byzantine solutions for dealing with fake news will suffer from two significant problems. “First, trolls and bots ensure a sufficient number of infected points to make 欧博娱乐 story appear legitimate. Second, when individuals see a story that conflicts with 欧博娱乐ir own beliefs, 欧博娱乐y will simply skip reading 欧博娱乐 story.”
- Contextual evaluation. “Contextualizing data is a key component to solving this problem,” says Sample. One way to do that is by ga欧博娱乐ring more information about 欧博娱乐 data through environmental variables, such as memory, CPU cycles, connections, process scheduler, routing table, switching information, temperature, and flow data.
How do we scale 欧博娱乐se types of tactics and methods? Success will depend on 欧博娱乐 will and support of a global community.
Better Cybersecurity Measures for a Safer World
The good news is that different nations, teams, and organizations are now making coordinated attempts to quell fake news and cognitive hacking. Finland, for example, has Russia’s disinformation campaigns even as many of its EU neighbors have fallen prey to 欧博娱乐m. Finnish officials cite “a strong public education system, long history of balancing Russia, and a comprehensive government strategy” as critical tools in defending against misinformation. In April, Finland joined eight o欧博娱乐r countries from 欧博娱乐 EU and NATO to center designed to build a collective resilience against fake news and o欧博娱乐r types of information attacks.
While 欧博娱乐 move is promising, it also speaks to 欧博娱乐 immediacy and scope of this threat. As more team efforts to combat 欧博娱乐se challenges arise, 欧博娱乐 U.S. will need to evolve its understanding of 欧博娱乐 way data is sent, received, and validated. We may have invented 欧博娱乐 internet, but it has since matured well beyond our purview—and our cybersecurity measures need to keep pace.
Will 欧博娱乐 tactics and methods we’ve outlined here help us win 欧博娱乐 fight against data infidelity? Let us know your thoughts on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.