1. prevent
The first element of the support materials focuses on preparation and proactive work to reduce vulnerabilities to malign information influence.
About Prevent
Tools and knowledge are provided here for identifying risks and creating internal procedures that strengthen the organisation’s resilience. You will learn how information influence can target your organisation, how you can work proactively with communication and how to create a coordinated internal approach.
By working preventively, we lay a solid foundation that enables acting swiftly and efficiently in the face of an incident.
Questions?
Please see our frequently asked questions and answers about the Capability Platform.
Capability Check
By answering these questions, you will gain a better understanding of strengths, areas for improvement and the initiatives that may be needed to strengthen preparedness. The self-assessment serves as practical support for identifying development needs and making your organisation more resilient.
- Do you have basic knowledge of how and why threat actors use malign information influence?
- Is there an understanding of how malign information influence can harm society’s protective interests and your essential services?
- Have you identified the values that your organisation represents and how these can be challenged?
- Have you identified how your internal and external target groups could be vulnerable to false and misleading information?
- Have you included malign information influence in risk and vulnerability analyses or suchlike?
- How do you work to strengthen and maintain trusting relationships?
- Are you working to strengthen the media and information literacy of internal and external target groups?
- Is false and misleading information described in contingency plans, action calendars or suchlike?
Glossary
In our glossary we list words and explanations in alphabetical order that describe our field. If you consider that a word is missing, please let us know.
Understand the threat
The role of psychological defence in total defence
Psychological defence is an important part of civil defence and concerns protecting society from malign information influence by antagonistic foreign powers. This type of influence aims to manipulate people’s beliefs, behaviour and decision-making by spreading misleading or false information, often on the internet and on social media.
Malign information influence from antagonistic foreign powers
Malign information influence from antagonistic foreign powers poses a growing security threat to Sweden. But, what exactly is malign information influence, what is meant by antagonistic foreign powers and how does this influence differ from other communications?
What does malign information influence seek to achieve?
Here, you will learn more about the strategies and tactics used by antagonistic foreign powers within malign information influence. Knowledge about them will help you to recognise information influence and understand the purpose behind such activity.
Influence campaigns
An influence campaign is a planned and coordinated initiative used by an antagonistic foreign power to influence how people think, feel or act. Here, you can take a closer look at how information influence can be used as an activity in such a campaign.
Tactics used in malign information influence
Are you curious about the tactics that antagonistic foreign powers use in their toolbox? Here, we take a closer look at the tactics used to influence people.
When our thoughts lead us astray
Our brains are amazing, but not flawless. Sometimes we take shortcuts in our thought processes that can lead to mistakes – known as cognitive biases. Antagonistic foreign powers exploit these weaknesses, which can make us susceptible to malign information influence.
Prepare your organisation
Prebunking as a vaccine against disinformation
Rather than merely trying to correct inaccurate information when it has already been disseminated, it might be better to prevent it from spreading in the first place. One method for this is known as prebunking.
Risk communication
Risk communication is about informing and creating awareness of potential risks and threats before a crisis strikes. The aim is to prepare individuals, authorities and other actors to reduce the likelihood of a crisis and minimise its consequences.
Crisis communication
Crisis communication is an important tool to enable countering malign information influence. An organisation that has clear strategies, plans or guidelines for its communication is better equipped to counteract the spread of disinformation, misleading information and propaganda.
Before a crisis strikes – prepare and plan
An organisation that is well prepared stands stronger when a crisis strikes. Working preventively with crisis communication is about building important structures, processes and procedures to ensure that your organisation can deal with a crisis effectively – before it strikes.
Common Grounds
Common Grounds is a framework for management and collaboration. It helps public-sector actors to collaborate effectively, share situational reports and create a common focus and coordination in the event of disturbances in society.
Risk and vulnerability assessment
By integrating malign information influence into your risk and vulnerability assessment, you can identify threats, analyse vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce the risk of being influenced. Read more about how you can strengthen your preparedness and resilience.
Case studies
Local training course created in Karlstad
With the support of the municipal executive management and a clear remit within psychological defence, the municipality is working to implement the tools of the Capabilities Portal in its work locally. Director of Communications Katarina Äleklint talks about the background and lessons learned.
Related articles
Other elements of the Capability Platform
Detect and counter the threat
Act effectively when malign information influence is taking place. Detect, analyse and manage the situation through coordination and strategic communication.
Reinforce the organisation
Benefit from the knowledge that the organisation has gathered, and develop it. Conduct training and exercises to reinforce the organisation.