Understanding Policy Responses to the National Disinformation Challenge

Speakers: Mark Montgomery (U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission); Robert Morgus (U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission); Natalie Thompson (U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission)

Date: 26 May 2021

Speaker Session Summary

SMA hosted a speaker session with Mr. Mark Montgomery (Executive Director, US Cyberspace Solarium Commission), Mr. Robert Morgus (Senior Director, US Cyberspace Solarium Commission), and Ms. Natalie Thompson (Research Analyst, US Cyberspace Solarium Commission) as a part of its SMA IIJO Speaker Series.

Mr. Montgomery began by outlining the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s research on disinformation. The research focused on how to counter disinformation from a foreign source and how to make the United States’ domestic population more resilient to influence from disinformation campaigns. These malicious information campaigns have been conducted for more than 15 years; however, it was the Russian disinformation campaign during the 2016 US Presidential election that was the main catalyst for today’s research endeavors.

Mr. Morgus added that while disinformation is associated with information operations (IO), it also has implications for cyberspace. Furthermore, while the disinformation campaign during the 2016 presidential election received the most coverage, the issue presented by the rapid spread of disinformation is much broader than impacts on elections. Attacks from state and non-state actors via social media have helped increased political polarization in the US and often distract from traditional methods of communication, like TV and radio, that are still important and relevant in the discussion surrounding disinformation.

Ms. Thompson emphasized that there are several roadblocks for effective leadership in countering disinformation. Right now, the USG lacks a cohesive strategy, coordination, and prioritization for operating in the information environment (IE). She argued that the factors that contribute to a malicious actor’s ability to influence the United States’ IE, how private actors can be equipped and trained, and the USG’s role in protecting the IE should all be spelled out clearly. Moreover, as a democratic government, the USG must protect its principle of freedom of speech and how it represents itself to the rest of the world. Better defining measures of effectiveness (MOEs) is also important in order to measure the US’s messaging success and to determine how to bolster the US armed forces’, federal government’s, and domestic population’s resilience to malign influence campaigns.

Ms. Thompson emphasized that creating a clear connection between individuals’ actions in the IE and US national security is crucial. Increased funding for operations in the information environment (OIE) and increased sharing of data between actors in the IE and researchers will be important factors in increasing the US domestic population’s resilience. Mr. Morgus concluded the presentation by stating that the USG can increase its influence over the United States’ IE by increasing its policing power, leveraging sanctions against state actors, and being proactive in its OIE in order to deter malicious IO.

Speaker Session Recording

Briefing Materials

Mark Montgomery serves as the Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. He most recently served as Policy Director for the Senate Armed Services Committee under the leadership of Senator John S. McCain.  In this position he coordinated policy efforts on national defense strategy, capabilities and requirements, defense policy and cyber issues. Mark served for 32 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear trained surface warfare officer, retiring as a Rear Admiral in 2017.  His flag officer assignments included Director of Operations (J3) at U. S. Pacific Command; Commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 embarked on the USS George Washington stationed in Japan; and Deputy Director, Plans, Policy and Strategy (J5), at U. S. European Command.  He was selected as a White House Fellow and assigned to the National Security Council, serving as Director for Transnational Threats from 1998-2000.  Mark graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in history from Oxford University, and completed the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power training program.

Robert Morgus is a Senior Director for the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where he directs research and analysis for Task Force Two. At the Commission, Morgus has led the development of the ecosystem pillar of the Commission’s final report as well as the Pandemic White Paper and the Supply Chain White Paper. Previously, he helped build New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative, where he headed the organization’s international cyber policy work. While at New America, his research focused on mechanisms to counter the spread of offensive cyber capability, cybersecurity and international governance, and Russian internet doctrine. In the past, he has authored reports on international cybersecurity norms, internet governance, cybersecurity insurance, amongst others. Morgus has spoken about cybersecurity at a number of international forums including NATO’s CyCon, the Global Conference on Cyberspace at The Hague, and Cy Fy 2015 in New Delhi, India. His research has been published and recognized by the New York Times, Slate, the IEEE, peer-reviewed academic journals, and numerous other national and international media outlets. Morgus serves as a member of the Research Advisory Network for the Global Commission on Internet Governance, as well as the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, and has served as an expert advisor for the World Economic Forum.

Natalie Thompson is a Research Analyst with the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission.  Prior to the Commission, she was a research assistant and James C. Gaither Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she worked with the Technology and International Affairs Program on projects related to influence operations and cybersecurity. Natalie holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and mathematics from Kalamazoo College. 

This speaker session supported SMA’s Integrating Information in Joint Operations (IIJO) project. For additional speaker sessions and project publications, please visit the IIJO project page.