Risk and vulnerability assessment
Information influence can threaten an organisation’s credibility and decision-making capability. To manage these risks effectively, it is important to understand where the vulnerabilities are and how they can be addressed. By including malign information influence in your risk and vulnerability assessment (RVA), you can identify threats, analyse weaknesses and take measures to reduce the risk of being influenced.
In order to prevent and manage information influence, regular risk analyses need to be conducted to detect any weaknesses. This may include deficient communication channels, low awareness of the threats or a lack of strategies to tackle misleading information. By identifying and remedying the most vulnerable areas, you create a more resilient organisation.
Working proactively through RVA gives a clearer picture of the threats to which you may be exposed and how you can best prepare. A carefully considered analysis strengthens the organisation’s ability to resist disinformation and other types of influence that could harm the operations. By making malign information influence part of your RVA, you can systematically identify, manage and counteract risks before they cause harm.
Strengthen your preparedness with RVA
Malign information influence can harm the organisation’s operations by spreading false information, undermining trust in the organisation, or swaying internal decisions. By identifying these risks at an early stage and linking them to your vulnerabilities, you can create a clearer picture of where you are most vulnerable and how you can reinforce protection.
Carefully considered RVA is an important part of the organisation’s preparedness and bolsters operational resilience. RVA helps to predict and manage threats, strengthening the organisation’s ability to respond to a crisis or malign information influence.
Identify risks
To reduce the impact of malign information influence, you first need to identify the risks that the organisation faces.
- What types of information influence could impact the organisation?
- Are there external actors with a potential interest in spreading false information about you?
- Which channels and platforms are most vulnerable to manipulation?
Analyse vulnerabilities
When you have identified the threats, you need to understand where your organisation is most vulnerable.
- Are there gaps in internal knowledge and procedures in terms of managing information influence?
- Is the organisation’s digital communication safe from manipulation or intrusion?
- Are clear guidelines in place for how to deal with disinformation?
Take risk mitigation actions
Once the risks and vulnerabilities have been identified, the next step is to implement measures to reduce the risk of malign information influence affecting the organisation.
- Training and awareness: Ensure that employees and management are knowledgeable about information influence and its consequences.
- Communication procedures: Prepare guidelines for how the organisation is to act in cases of suspected information influence.
- Digital security: Ensure that the organisation’s digital platforms are protected from manipulation and unauthorised access.
Monitor and evaluate
To ensure that the measures are effective, information influence should form part of regular RVA monitoring.
- Test and simulate scenarios in which the organisation is subjected to malign information influence to assess how well procedures and measures work.
- Regularly evaluate which threats and vulnerabilities change over time and adapt RVA accordingly.
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
Make use of the knowledge that the organisation has gathered, and develop it. Hold training and exercises to reinforce the organisation.