Hacking the Voter: Lessons from a Decade of Russian Military Operations

Election security faces a persistent problem: defenders are often thinking tactically, while the most capable, deliberate adversaries are thinking strategically. Getting ahead of ever evolving election interference operations will require understanding adversaries' long-term goals and how they are shaping their election interference activities to outmaneuver tactical defenses.

In this talk, we will look at lessons learned from nearly a decade of election interference activities linked to the Russian military's espionage and special forces agency, the GRU. We will examine how Russia's policy elites believe information has a fundamental role in international relations and how this perspective shapes GRU strategies and tactics.

By Nate Beach-Westmoreland