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.
Helsinki Summit: Time for Trump to Establish Real Deterrents
WASHINGTON, DC — In The Federalist 68, Alexander Hamilton described “the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils,” as “one of the most deadly adversaries of republican government.” As President Trump meets with Russian [...]
NATO and Asymmetric Threats: A Blueprint for Defense and Deterrence
Russia is increasingly turning its asymmetric arsenal on NATO allies to attack the credibility of the Alliance, undermine democratic institutions across member states, and disrupt NATO cohesion on a variety of policy and security issues. Despite fa [...]
The Other “Cyprus Problem”
Introduction In Nicosia, regulators last month imposed a modest fine on a minor bank for technical violations of anti-money laundering rules. In Moscow, the former owner of that Nicosia bank sits in prison for his alleged role in one of the largest [...]
The ASD Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies
Executive Summary In 2014, Russian government operatives began attacking American democracy through a multifaceted operation, a campaign that followed years of similar activity across Europe. A core component of this operation was the Russian gove [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
Report Launch: Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies Please join the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) for a discussion with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Ch [...]
NDAA Improves Military Cybersecurity but Fails on Broader Reform before November Midterms
The Senate passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Monday. While the bill made advancements in our military cyber-capabilities and deterrence against foreign cyber operations, it lacks significant improvements to cybersecurity f [...]
Twitter Release Reveals the Kremlin’s News Impersonation Game
On June 18, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee releasedaround 1,100 names of Twitter accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA), which is the official name of the Russian troll farm indictedby Special Counsel Robert Mueller for [...]
Securing Bulgaria’s Future: Combating Russian Energy Influence in the Balkans
The Kremlin has launched a resurgent effort to solidify its control over Bulgaria’s energy sector. On May 30, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to establish Bulgaria as a second point of en [...]
Russia as Spoiler: Projecting Division in Transatlantic Societies
The Kremlin’s political and military aggressions over recent years have put Putin’s rejection of the international liberal order and post-Cold War balance of power on full display. Increasingly paranoid about regime survival — which it directly lin [...]
Securing Democracy Dispatch
News and Commentary The U.S. annual defense spending bill includes measures to improve cybersecurity, but not election security: On June 13, the House Appropriations Committee approved the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will al [...]
From Nord Stream to Novichok: Kremlin Propaganda on Google’s Front Page
On May 24, an international team of investigators from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, and Ukraine announced that a Russian anti-aircraft missile was directly responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17). The following da [...]
Nord Stream 2 Threatens European Cohesion
In response to the recent threat of U.S. sanctions on entities involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, German Economic Minister Peter Altmaier claimed the United States simply wants a bigger slice of the European energ [...]