Iran has spoofed the Proud Boys. Chinese disinformation called into question the efficacy and safety of the Pfizer vaccine. As far back as the 1980s when Putin was in the KGB, Russia fabricated “Operation Denver,” which alleged the U.S. military manufactured AIDS and planted the story in a paper in India to lead third world countries to distrust the U.S.
Those insights and more were shared with Colorado Press Women attending a virtual presentation by two representatives from the Colorado Department of State whose job it is to counter foreign disinformation affecting Colorado Elections. The Zoom meeting was recorded and is available for viewing at: https://youtu.be/EdQmeEDzKy8
Nathan Blumenthal, director of the CDOS’ Rapid Response Election Security and Cyber Unit, has two decades’ experience working in national security in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he was Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and head of DHS’s Counter Foreign Influence Task Force. Aaron Hayman is a Senior Elections Security Specialist with CDOS/RESCU, leading efforts to counter foreign disinformation, and has nearly a decade’s experience in the intelligence community in D.C. and overseas.
They said RESCU’s strategies for combatting foreign disinformation in Colorado was to spread the word about it by speaking to groups such as CPW, to spread accurate information and to provide tools and resources to counter it at their website: Homeland Threat Assessment.
Their advice for how citizens can avoid spreading foreign disinformation: be aware, think before you link and share, and use trusted sources.
