Trolling to Shape Public Opinion
In this world when feeling safe is more important than being protected: authors of this entire propaganda campaign used two very special ingredients to give an extra sweet flavor to given dish by including classic Russian threat factor and the Mysterious Cyber Intrusion Theory. We see an unprecedented trolling activities which aim to shape public opinion, millions of fake news which attack social media users, propaganda from some of the biggest mainstream media actors and most importantly we see the trend. Trend inspired by all of the above mentioned activities, accelerated with involving social influencers and raised to confrontational level. There is a great research and theory which applies very well to this phenomenon called “The Structure and Dynamics of Organizations and Groups” by Eric Berne. If we are talking about sophisticated cyber conspiracies than this conversation also can have a window for discussion of ultimate psychological practices that are undivided part of such campaigns and are exercised by almost every intelligence agencies on earth. From the counterintelligence perspective which combines all the attack vectors, methods and tools in analysis: there are same patterns in ongoing campaigns as it is in many Russian cases, but this time the Russian Federation could be the least problem for the US. Russia just needs a moment to take a breath after the Ukraine, while the US is left with radical wing fighting for power and revenge. Russia will have more time and space to work in his neighborhood by pushing his agenda to rebuild the USSR and extending its influence in the post-soviet countries.
Lasha Pataraia