ASD contributes long and short form research products and analysis to inform and engage our audience on a range of issues related to malign foreign interference. In addition, we develop policy recommendations and strategies to close vulnerabilities and safeguard institutions from authoritarian threats.
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Policymakers Shouldn’t Wait for a “Cyber 9/11” or “Digital Pearl Harbor” to Act on Long-Term Cyber Strategies
Digital attacks on critical infrastructure are occurring at a pace that is overwhelming defenders, yet not alarming the public enough to push for greater accountability in the defense of hospitals, schools, and energy distributors. For over a decade [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
Announcements We’re hiring! We are looking for a Data Analyst and a Program Assistant to join our team in Washington, D.C., and a Head of European Operations to join our team in Brussels. Apply now! Our Take RT Deutsch has become the most promine [...]
Hamilton Toplines: August 30–September 5, 2021
Russia Last week, Russian state media and diplomats continued to focus on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country; although, the amount of coverage declined slightly from previous weeks. Kremlin-linked Twitter [...]
Germany is Vulnerable before the Elections but Can Still Escape Interference Attempts
Sooner or later harmful trends observed in the United States often take hold in Germany. They might not be at the scale of what Americans confront, but the telltale signs are evident even in Germany’s strong democracy. That especially applies to ele [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
Announcements Join ASD and GMF Berlin for an interactive event on foreign interference in Germany’s election with Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Günter Krings (CDU), Bundestag Member Nils Schmid (SPD), Brookin [...]
Hamilton Toplines: August 23–29, 2021
Russia Last week, Russian diplomats and state media continued to provide extensive coverage of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the associated fallout. Russian Twitter accounts monitored on Hamilton 2.0 mentioned Afghanistan more than any ot [...]
Targeting Baerbock: Gendered Disinformation in Germany’s 2021 Federal Election
On April 19, 2021, Annalena Baerbock was announced as the German Green Party candidate for chancellor. With this nomination, Baerbock became the only woman in the race to succeed Angela Merkel. However, her nomination was undermined from the outset [...]
Hamilton Toplines: August 16–August 22, 2021
Russia Last week, Russian state media and diplomats continued to focus on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, highlighting chaotic scenes on the ground, criticizing the Biden administration’s efforts, and amplifying confusion and tension between t [...]
How Authoritarians Can Exploit Apple’s Child Safety Initiatives
Much has been said about Apple’s recently announced “Child Safety” initiatives. The focus has been (rightly so) on the perceptions of user privacy and implications of content processing happening on user devices versus cloud servers. Child safety pr [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
Announcements Join ASD and GMF Berlin for an interactive event on foreign interference in Germany’s election with Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Günter Krings (CDU), Bundestag Member Nils Schmid (SPD), Brookin [...]
Mandatory Vaccinations, Covid-19 Origin, and A National Holiday: July’s Top Findings from the 2021 German Elections Dashboard
July saw a continuation of foreign actors’ active engagement in German online political discourse through state-backed media and diplomatic accounts. As in previous months, Russian actors put a particular emphasis on disseminating anti-vaccination n [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
Our Take When engaging with China, the EU should do more to match the decisive pro-democracy measures of some of its smaller member states, most notably Lithuania, Hong-Cheng Hsiao and Research Analyst Etienne Soula argue in an ASD blog post. Chin [...]